The Devil You Know
by Digitalanimal
Summary: modern/crime AU with Trafalgar Law as a police agent who meets the hitman Doflamingo and tries to use him to solve the case of an underground network that is responsible for various crimes in their city. This will contain mature content and eventually DoflamingoXLaw.
1. Chapter 1

The night sky was shining brightly with the city's lights.

Agent Trafalgar Law was standing on the Reverse Bridge, the largest bridge in the area, and focused his eyes on the figure in front of him. The darkness made it difficult to tell but he recognized the person standing on the edge of the bridge as a very tall man, with short, spiky hair and dressed like he was going to join the Love Parade.

He wore a pink feather boa around his neck, a black shirt with a white tie and striped pants. It was impossible to mistake him for anyone else but the target Law had pursued for the last 24 hours. He pointed his pistol at the man and slowly neared his position.

"FREEZE!"

Hearing Law's loud voice didn't seem to surprise the man. He turned around and smiled at the agent revealing two rows of white teeth.

Seeing the man grin at him like that sent a chill down Law's spine but his expression remained stern.

"PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!"

In the light of a street lamp, Law noticed that the man was wearing very distinct, purple sunglasses. It had to be him.

"DOFLAMINGO, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR THE MURDER OF-"

"You must be Agent Law, right?", the blond man asked.

Law gaped at him in surprise but quickly regained his composure.

"PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!"

Doflamingo took one big step in Law's direction while the wide smile remained on his lips.

"Aren't you one of the profilers? Didn't expect you to show up on the streets.", he chuckled,

"I heard you're a true genius in psychoanalysis."

The man was trying to win time but Law would have none of that.

"I TOLD YOU TO-"

A large hand suddenly hit his arm and Law's grip around the pistol loosened. The gun flew down the bridge and into the river beneath them. His grey eyes widened in shock at the unexpected speed with which his enemy had attacked. Before Law could react, a long razor blade was held against his throat.

Doflamingo pressed him against the lamppost behind them with his arm against Law's chest.

"It was you, wasn't it? The one who busted tonight?", the grinning man whispered.

The arm that pushed him against the lamppost made it hard to speak but Law knew that every second could save his life right now.

"You know... we couldn't just let you kill that man... since he's one of our informants and all..."

Doflamingo laughed quietly and stared down at the agent who seemed so small and fragile in comparison to himself but still found the strength to sound playful.

"You mean that Disco guy? Well he's just hanging out by himself right now, fufufu..."

Law gasped at the sudden realisation. He glanced down from where Doflamingo had stood only moments ago and saw that a slender body was hanging from a rope down the bridge.

"How... how did you get him first?", Law gasped and stared at the body that was swinging back and forth above the water.

The blond man only laughed again.

"You know the tale about two madmen trying to escape from the psychiatry?"

Law's eyes narrowed at the purple sunglasses.

"One night, they make it to the roof of the clinic and one of them jumps onto the roof of a nearby building. The other guy calls out 'No way I'm gonna make that jump!'. The guy who jumped smiles at him and says 'No problem! I brought a flashlight! I will light the way so you can just walk along the ray of light and over here!' Now the other guy looks very sceptical..."

Law stared at Doflamingo with outmost confusion. But something deep inside his brain told him that he knew how to story would end.

Doflamingo tried to hold back his laughter.

"...and finally he replies to his comrade: 'Are you insane?! You will turn off the light before I'm halfway there.'"

In all of his years as an agent, Law had never felt more frightened and intrigued at the same time.

This man who called himself Doflamingo, was utterly insane and yet... he was one of the most illusive hitmen this city had ever seen.

Law was sure that his death was near when suddenly a loud _BANG _echoed through the night.

The next moment, Doflamingo's smile was gone and replaced by a grimace of pain.

The tall man sank to his knees as blood started to drip from a bullet wound in his shoulder.

Law recognized his partner, Agent Smoker, coming from the other side of the bridge. It was clear that he had been the one to shoot at Doflamingo.

"Law! Are you alright?!", Smoker exclaimed.

His partner rushed to his side and pointed his gun at the bent over figure kneeling on the ground.

"Yeah... how did you find me?"

"I spotted that lowlife informant of ours hanging from Reverse Bridge... more like no-life now, thanks to this asshole."

Smoker kicked Doflamingo in the side.

"Be careful, this guy is quick for his size...", Law mumbled.

"I should just end this guy right here and now but then we won't be able to get all the information we need to take out his employers..."

"Fufufu..."

Law and Smoker stared at the blond man to their feet who was suddenly laughing again.

The next second, a long leg kicked Smoker's ankles and broke his balance. The white-haired agent fell down and Doflamingo immediately climbed on top of him. One of his hands strangled Smoker while the other repeatedly smacked Smoker's arm which was holding the pistol, against the concrete ground.

Smoker released his gun and tried to push Doflamingo's strangling hand away.

The blond man picked up his razor from the ground and started to slice across Smoker's chest with fast slashes.

The agent's eyes widened in pain as the blood started to pour down his skin. He saw how the man above him smiled wickedly while he continued to cut his body.

Smoker felt powerless against the sheer force with which Doflamingo was holding him in place. His vision started to blur right when he noticed Law standing behind the enemy with his pistol in hand. Right before he passed out, Smoker witnessed how his partner swung the gun above Doflamingo's head and knocked him unconscious by smashing the weapon against the blond man's temple.

His heart was racing.

_I have to get back, I have to get back, I have to..._

He was running through the streets and back to his house.

Someone had kicked in the door.

He entered the kitchen and saw that the floor was covered in blood.

_"Mom... d-dad...what..."_

They were lying before him. With bullet holes in their heads.

A noise could be heard upstairs.

_"Oh no... Lamie..."_

Law jumped awake in his bed with a loud gasp.

Cold sweat was running down his face and back.

"Trafalgar? Something wrong?", he heard a soft voice next to him.

Margaret was rubbing her eyes and leaned back on the pillow to look at Law.

She ran her fingers through her unkempt hair as she observed Law with tired eyes.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Law was staring into an empty space in front of him and couldn't find his voice.

"Are you okay?", Margaret asked and put a small hand on his shoulder.

Law moved away from the bed and her touch as he made his way to the bathroom.

"I'm fine.", he muttered and locked the door behind him.

He immediately turned on the shower and stepped into the hot spray as if to purify himself.

He hadn't experienced this bad of nightmare in months.

Law thought that it might have been the events of the night before that triggered the memory.

They finally caught Doflamingo, the hitman behind a series of contract killings during the last three months.

His partner's injuries were luckily mostly superficial and Smoker wouldn't complain anyway even if he was in a lot of pain.

But it was a close call for both of them.

Law sighed and slid down the shower's wall with his back against the tiles.

Today they would interrogate Doflamingo. Somehow he felt that they wouldn't get too far with that lunatic. They knew near to nothing about him to begin with except his alias and what he looked like based on witness statements.

And since last night, Law also knew that the man was not only dangerous but also highly unpredictable.

Analysing that man's psyche would at least allow Law to distract himself from his own trauma.

He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before he returned to his bedroom.

Law almost blinked at the naked woman on his mattress.

Margaret gave him a questioning look.

"Uh... I have to go to work. You can leave when you... when you're ready.", he uttered and opened his drawer.

Margaret wrapped herself in the blanket of Law's bed and slowly moved to stand beside him.

"It's five in the morning... don't want to eat breakfast first? So seem really out of it."

Law put on his working clothes, a black suit with a grey shirt and white necktie. He also put on his holster and put his badge in a small pocket inside his jacket.

He felt Margaret's dark eyes watching him as he moved around the room.

She was a detective of the same police department that Law was working for but part of a different division.

Law's superior was commissioner Hina of the first division, Margaret worked under commissioner Hancock of the second division. Although they saw each other regularly, Law felt they belonged to two entirely different 'families'.

They didn't talk much about work. In fact Law didn't talk much at all. One night a couple of week ago, they met at a bar drank a lot. Law had taken her home with him and since then Margaret had become a recurring visitor in his apartment.

And Law tried to keep it that way.

"I have to start early today, we got a hold on of a very important witness."

Dark eyes sank to the floor.

"I see."

Law clearly recognized the disappointment in Margaret's voice. He grabbed his suitcase and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he left the apartment.

On his way to headquarters, he picked up Smoker from the hospital and couldn't help but smile at the young nurse who was desperately trying to tell his partner that it was forbidden to smoke in front of the hospital's entry.

Law opened the door of his car and Smoker dropped down onto the passenger seat next to him. A smoldering cigar rested at the corner of his mouth.

"Good morning to you too, brat. Stop grinning like an idiot.", Smoker grumbled.

"You're feeling better?", Law asked and glanced at the numerous bandages covering Smoker's chest.

"Yep. That blond asshole sure didn't try hard enough. Still, I can't believe he got the better of me like that."

"It was the same with me. His flamboyant appearance easily turns your focus away from how dangerous he truly is. Even if he doesn't look like it, the man is a professional."

Smoker looked at Law as he took a deep drag from his cigar.

"Furthermore, it's his unpredictable personality that worries me. Something tells me that we won't get much information out of him unless he wants us to."

Smoker released the smoke from his lungs and stared outside the window.

"In that case, we may have to use more old-school methods of interrogation.", he murmured.

A chuckle escaped Law's lips.

Doflamingo rested on the bench in his cell and gazed up at the ceiling.

As the iron bars opened, a young woman with dark blue hair and glasses entered the room. Behind her stood two muscular security guards who looked at him with cold eyes.

Doflamingo smiled at them.

"Doflamingo, we will bring you to the interrogation room. If you offer any resistance we will have no choice but to-"

"Aren't you cute. A woman with a body like you shouldn't be afraid to present it in a more... alluring way, fufufu. I guess you're Detective Tashigi?"

The woman's eyes widened behind her glasses.

For a moment she seemed too bewildered to speak.

A hand appeared on her shoulder and she quickly turned around to see Smoker standing behind her.

"Don't listen to him."

Smoker stepped in front of her and looked at Doflamingo with a disgusted expression.

"Get that piece of filth out of here.", he ordered the two guards.

Doflamingo smiled to himself as they put handcuffs on his wrists and took him to the interrogation room.

The room possessed two mirrored windows with only a metallic table and two chairs in its center.

A single lamp at the ceiling emitted a bright white light that filled the entire room.

Doflamingo sat down on the chair in front of him and watched how a tall woman with light pink hair sat down on the other side of the table.

She smoked a cigarette while her eyes moved up and down Doflamingo's figure.

"Like what you see, commissioner?", the tall man chuckled.

Hina took a another drag from her cigarette before she leaned one arm on the table and blew the smoke right into Doflamingo's face.

"May I have one too?", he asked and extended his enchained hands.

"Maybe, if you cooperate."

Hina leaned back against her chair and gave him an apathetic look.

"You our prime suspect in case of six murders within the last three months. All of the victims were informants that had worked closely with our agents for months. The last one being a pander known as 'Disco' who we discovered to be hung from Reverse Bridge yesterday night. Two of our agents spotted you at the crime scene and you attacked both of them and repeatedly injured Agent Smoker."

Doflamingo huffed.

"Yeah, seems like he's still angry about that."

Hina gave him an icy glare.

"Let me explain your situation to you. We have enough evidence to put you in jail for the rest of your life."

"Do you?"

"If you refuse to cooperate with our investigation, I'll make sure that you will never leave Impel Down Prison until the day you die."

Doflamingo's lips opened slightly into a vicious smile.

The staring contest between him and Hina only lasted for a moment until she spoke up again.

"If you, however, assist us with the exposure of the underground network that infested this city, you might get a chance to shorten the time you would be spending in a jail cell."

The blond man sighed and rested his legs on the table.

"Interesting offer... and what if I say no?"

Hina looked at him for a second and suddenly raised from her seat. Without another word she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Doflamingo clicked his tongue when they turned off the light.

The next thing he knew was that someone grabbed the back of his chair and made him fall backwards and onto the floor.

When the light was turned back on, he recognized the two guards staring down on him.

One of them grabbed his shirt and was about to lift Doflamingo onto the table.

As he was lifted off the ground, Doflamingo rammed his head against the bottom of the man's jaw. The security guard groaned in pain as Doflamingo took the chance to get behind him and strangle his throat with the chain of his handcuffs.

"I would prefer a more gentle approach.", he hissed and lifted the man of his feet.

The second guard drew his pistol.

"STOP IT.", rang Hina's voice from a loudspeaker.

"RELEASE THE MAN, DOFLAMINGO."

"If I'm going to help you, I have conditions.", Doflamingo exclaimed.

"First, I will only answer questions in a face-to-face conversation without a third party involved. Second, you'll allow me to leave your headquarters in order to establish contact with suspects under the supervision of one of your agents. And third, I'll get to choose which agent I want to work with."

The guard's face was turning blue while Doflamingo smiled at the mirrored window.

A moment of silence passed which was only interrupted by the sounds of the guard's struggle for air.

"Alright. Let the man go.", announced Hina's voice.

Doflamingo dropped the guard to the floor like a sack of garbage and sat down on the table with his legs crossed.

He looked satisfied while the two men quickly left the room.

"Which agent do you want to talk to?"

Doflamingo smiled even wider.

"Trafalgar Law."


	2. Talk to me

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"

Smoker's voice was almost loud enough to reach through the windowpane that separated them from the interrogation room.

At least the glass seemed to vibrate with the volume of his voice.

Hina released smoke from her red lips and glared at Smoker.

"Agent Smoker... you know how important the information and contacts this man offers us are for the entire investigation."

"Are you seriously going to trust him?! He's gonna go on a rampage the second we take off those handcuffs!"

Another cloud of smoke escaped Hina's lungs.

"We will try this step by step. If Law says that he's willing to try to talk to him, I believe that he will be able to tell if the risk is actually worth it."

"Law won't be able to tell anything if this lunatic smashes his head against the wall until his brain pops out!"

"It makes no sense for him to attack me while we're still at headquarters. Even if we meet in a private room. He knows he won't be able to escape when there are so many cops around.", Law explained.

"Are you actually considering his conditions?", Tashigi shrieked,

"He will use every chance he gets to make a quick escape!"

Law sighed.

He couldn't deny the risk since Doflamingo's actions were highly unpredictable.

But still he said:

"I don't think he wants go the easy way."

"What do you mean?", Hina asked.

"He seems to me like the kind of man who searches for ways to entertain himself. Especially by manipulating and toying with the people around him. None of his murders were 'ordinary' so to speak. His first victim was killed with potassium cyanide, a deadly poison that he mixed with the drink in the victim's flask. The first victim's name was Carl Turing, he used to be a member of a racist underground gang and worked as a drug dealer in the downtown district. The way he was killed resembles the poisoning of several racial ideology leaders who used to rule over Turing's homeland back in the day."

"A-Are you saying this guy's not only a contract killer but also a psychopath?", Tashigi whispered.

Smoker slammed his hand against his desk.

"This is exactly what I mean! This man is too dangerous to grant him this much freedom!"

"He shows psychopathic tendencies in the way he kills his targets but he also seems interested in how we're going to solve this case.", Law interrupted.

"If we... if I... manage to arouse his interest... I'm sure that he will play along."

Smoker and Tashigi stared at Law in horror.

But before any of them could protest, Hina raised her voice.

"Alright, I will leave this guy to you, Law. You will meet with him in a private room but he will be wearing handcuffs during the entire meeting."

"What?"

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

Hina turned around and stared at her two subordinates with strict eyes.

"We've been working on this case for almost a year now. The people behind this underground organisation are responsible for a drastic increase of drug abuse, street fights, murder and we even suspect them of human trafficking. This is the first real lead we got on them and since all of our other informants have been killed by this man, I'd say this is our only chance to get back on track as of now. END OF THE DISCUSSION."

The protest was evident on Smoker's face but the white-haired man only clenched his fists and turned away. Tashigi looked very confused as her eyes switched between Smoker, Law and Hina.

Law decided to do more research on the case before he would encounter Doflamingo.

He would have to deal with Smoker's complains later.

* * *

In between all his files Law found the list of Doflamingo's victims as well as Disco's last report.

Disco's last statement read that he was finally going to meet one of higher ranking officers who worked right under the head of the infamous underground network. In a different report Disco talked about a certain drug called "SMILE" which the network produced and distributed and that Carl Turing used to sell to his customers. The network's name remained a secret up until now.

Both Disco and Turing seemed to work under one of the system's officers although they never met them in person.

The second victim, a man by the name of "Gekko Moriah", was found dead in his cell after he got arrested by the police. The police suspected him of the abduction of several human bodies from the city's morgue. Witnesses had spoken of a strong 'stench of death' that surrounded Moriah's house and garage. However, when the police arrived they found no evidence that Moriah was hiding corpses on his property aside from the smell.

Moriah's dead body had been hanged from the ceiling of his cell with thin steel ropes wrapped around his arms.

The other three victims were all police informants. It seemed like someone made a hit list to clean out the trash from their organisation.

* * *

When Law entered the room to meet with Doflamingo, he found the man already waiting inside and smiling happily at his visitor.

"Hello there.", he purred.

Law didn't respond. He sat down on the table opposite Doflamingo and rested his hands on the top.

His fingers were intertwined as he studied the blond man with the wide smile.

"You look tired.", Doflamingo stated.

"Watching how your partner gets sliced to a bloody mess may steal you some sleep.", Law retorted.

Doflamingo formed a silent _"Oh"_ with his lips.

He was still wearing handcuffs.

"So far we followed your conditions but if you attack me or any of my colleagues again, this will be the last time someone treats you like a human being."

Doflamingo held eye contact with Law although his eyes were hidden by the purple sunglasses.

"Your 'partner' shot my shoulder. One could say I was only defending myself.", he mused.

"You attacked me first."

"You pointed a gun at my head."

Law huffed.

Doflamingo leaned on the table thereby mimicking Law's pose.

"I just wanted to chat with you but you started yelling and that really scared me okay?"

For second, the blond man actually managed to sound like a frightened little kid.

But the illusion was quickly destroyed when a menacing smile spread on his lips.

"Don't try to threaten me, kid.", he growled.

The sudden deepness of his voice made a chill run down Law's spine.

His reflection in the purple glasses showed him his own frightened expression and Law felt a sudden rush of anger rise in his chest.

He wouldn't let Doflamingo take control this easily.

"Threaten you? The way I see it, I'm your free pass back to world beyond iron bars. If I decide that you are of no use to the investigation, you will be sent to Impel Down Prison in a heartbeat."

A smile tugged at Law's lips as he observed a vein forming on Doflamingo's forehead.

The tall man stared at him for moment and then moved even closer to Law.

"Maybe I will be satisfied with going to prison if only I get a taste of your blood first.", Doflamingo whispered.

Law tried to fight the wave of panic that built up in his body.

He forced himself to stay calm while he chose his next words carefully.

"I don't think that is what you want from me."

Doflamingo raised a brow at that and allowed him to continue.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it on the bridge. You knew my name and my profession. You also knew my specialty lay with psychoanalysis. So you decided to tell me this out of context story to test me. To see if I could decipher what you were really talking about."

"How sharp you are...", Doflamingo chuckled,

"Now I'm curious. Were you able to _solve the puzzle_? Fufufu..."

Law gulped nervously but felt that he was on the right track.

"The story you told me is from a comic book called "Batman – The Killing Joke" written by Alan Moore. The character who tells the story is the "Joker" and he tells this "Killing Joke" to Batman right before Batman captures him. "Joker" is an alias of an underground broker of the secret network we are trying to expose. Now I believe that "Joker" is the codename of the broker who hired you to do his dirty work. The way you talk about the two madmen also indicates that you saw yourself and your victim in the roles of those men."

Doflamingo clicked his tongue.

Law remembered him doing this before when the lights in the interrogation room went off and took a mental note that this might be a sign of nervousness.

"And how exactly do I see myself in the role of madman?", Doflamingo asked with a calm voice.

"You believe yourself to be 'different' in a way that you're able to outsmart other people. You like to play mind games with them and you put a lot effort into thinking of the most original way to kill them. This indicates that you harbor psychopathic tendencies but also that you have a strong need for recognition. I take that you seek a challenge more than anything else which is why you didn't kill me right away."

After Law had finished his explanation, Doflamingo hummed in satisfaction.

"You sure don't disappoint, do you?"

Law felt his breath stuck in his throat at the pleased sound of his opponent's voice.

"I'm going to answer your questions but I have one rule."

Law released the breath from his lungs and relaxed a little.

He had been right about Doflamingo's intention and managed to raise his chances of not being beaten to death in this room without any surveillance.

"What's the rule?"

"An answer for an answer. For every question you ask me, I get to ask you something about yourself in return."

"You like rules as long as you make them, don't you?", Law murmured.

He didn't like this idea of an "Ask me anything" game but it seemed like he would have no choice but to play along.

"Do you accept the rule?", Doflamingo asked with a smile.

Law narrowed his eyes at the man but nodded slowly.

"Alright then, ask away.", Doflamingo said as he leaned back in his seat.

Law took a bundle of files from his suitcase and spread them out on the table in front of Doflamingo.

"Who ordered you to kill these men."

Doflamingo smiled at the photographs of his victims before he focused his attention back on Law.

A moment of silence followed until Doflamingo replied with one single word.

"Kaido."

Law's eyes widened. He hastily took a note.

"Kaido, is that another alias or an actual name?"

Doflamingo slammed his hand on the table and some of the papers and photographs flew down on the floor.

Law stared at him in shock.

The man before him lifted his hands and waved his index finger in front of his face.

"Uh-uh-uh. Don't forget the rule, Agent Law.", Doflamingo lectured him.

Law nodded slowly.

Doflamingo smiled again and rested his chin on his palm.

"Now Law... when was the last time you got laid?"

A snapping sound filled the air and Law noticed distantly that his pen flew right across the table.

He stared at Doflamingo with wide eyes as he felt his whole body tense up.

His mind started racing.

Why did he ask him that question?

Was Doflamingo trying to lower his defenses with disrespect?

Was he trying to provoke him?

Was this another test or was he just fucking with him now?

Maybe this was a game of who would chicken out first?

Doflamingo waited patiently for Law to reply as if he had asked him about his state of health.

After a while he even bent down to pick up the pen of the floor and carefully placed it in front of the agent.

Law decided that it would take more than one indecent question to throw him off.

"Last night."

Doflamingo seemed pleased with the answer and readjusted his sunglasses.

"Is Kaido an alias or a real name?", Law asked in an attempt to retake control of the situation.

"I don't know.", Doflamingo shrugged.

He sensed Law's anger before the agent even spoke another word and decided to elaborate his answer.

"I met him at his club in the downtown district. He gave me a list of names and that was it."

"I see.", Law grumbled.

For a second, he really thought that Doflamingo was just playing with him and maybe he was but his explanation sounded believable enough.

The purple shades focused on him once again as Doflamingo thought of his next question.

"Was it good?"

The way he said the words like he was discussing dinner with an old friend made Law feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Law bit his lip and tried again to suppress his rising anger.

"Amazing_._", he hissed.

"You're lying.", Doflamingo chuckled.

Law's hands clenched into fists.

He was dancing the way Doflamingo wanted him to and he suddenly realised that the more he struggled, the more Doflamingo would feel superior.

The faster he would feel bored.

Law tried to make his voice sound as blunt as possible when he answered again.

"I fucked her right after I came home from work. I only wanted to sleep so I made sure to be quick about it."

This time Doflamingo actually looked surprised.

"What?", Law snapped.

"I didn't expect you to correct your answer. I never claimed that it was part of the rule that our answers had to be true."

Law took another mental note:

_He's definitely fucking with me. _

_Memo to myself: I'm an idiot._

* * *

During the next day, the investigation team started to dig up every information about "Kaido" that they could possibly find.

The only problem was that they couldn't find anything useful.

"This is no good. No 'Kaido' in any of the criminal records...", Tashigi complained from behind her computer.

"The blond bastard lied to you. I told you, we couldn't trust him.", Smoker murmured.

"Just because you can't find the name in our archives doesn't mean that the information was false.", Hina remarked as she lit her next cigarette.

Law's eyes glanced over the assemble of filled up ashtrays on Smoker's and Hina's desks before he left the office. All of them had been working overtime for the last weeks and the atmosphere was tense.

It all started when they got the first real clue on Doflamingo after a witness called the police because he had seen how a 'tall man wearing strange sunglasses and some feather thing around his neck' was breaking into the house of his neighbor. It turned out that said neighbor was no other than 'Disco' himself who was lucky to be 'at work' at the time.

Law had been gathering information about a possible hitman that was responsible for the death of five other people before Disco. It seemed unlikely to him there was more than one culprit. The way all the victims were killed seemed too thought-out.

It turned out that many witnesses had seen a man of Doflamingo's appearance at the different crime scenes. They also found fingerprints but no match to who they belonged to in any of the archives.

That only gave Law more reason to believe that they were dealing with a contract killer.

But he didn't expect a man with such a manipulative personality.

After his last meeting with Doflamingo, Law had felt like the man was toying with him.

At least he got a name out of him.

Of course getting that valid information had to go hand in hand with his mortification through a murdering psychopath...

When Margaret had called him last night, he had been too ashamed to pick up the phone.

What was he doing, telling a total stranger about his sex life?

Law sighed right before he opened the door to meet Doflamingo again.

The blond man seemed relaxed and smiled at Law when he saw him enter.

"You look tired again, had a busy night?"

The hidden laughter in between those words made Law experience a new rush of embarrassment.

But there was no going back now. Instead he just returned the smile.

"No, I just couldn't get our pleasant conversation out of my head."

Now Doflamingo laughed out loud.

"Fufufu, you're lying again!"

Law sat down and looked at Doflamingo.

"We haven't been able to find any valid information about someone named "Kaido". Did you lie to me about the name of the man who hired you?"

Doflamingo immediately stopped his laughing and leaned forward in his seat.

"Lie to you? How unproductive would that be? I didn't lie to you, Law. If you can't find anything on the name it's likely that "Kaido" is one of many codenames and that he keeps his real name very close to the chest."

Law frowned at the man before him but couldn't deny that he sounded sincere.

"Now it's my turn again.", Doflamingo announced.

The young agent sighed deeply.

"Law, how many hours do you sleep a night?"

"Around four to five hours..."

Law tried to ignore how utterly harmless that question had been.

"What was the name of the club where you met Kaido?", he continued the asking game.

"It's called 'The Zoan'. Z-O-A..."

"I get it.", Law retorted.

Doflamingo raised his hands apologetically .

"Do you often get nightmares, Law?", he mused.

Law tried really hard not to lose hold of his pen again.

Now he saw clearly what Doflamingo was getting at.

Last time he was simply testing Law's boundaries.

This time, he tried to find a weak spot in Law's psyche.

Law decided that he had to turn this conversation around quickly because if Doflamingo continued this road, Law wasn't sure if he would be able to stay in this room.

"Yes.", he whispered.

_Now it was his turn again._

"Is your suggestion that I suffer from nightmares based on the fact that you experience them yourself?"

Doflamingo chuckled.

"It could be that. Or maybe those dark circles beneath your eyes gave me the idea."

"That answer sounds utterly evasive.", Law remarked.

It seemed that they were back to playing mind games.

"Because it is. Why did you choose to become a police agent?", Doflamingo asked ahead.

Doflamingo was trying to change the topic back to Law.

But right now, he had admitted that he suffered from nightmares as well.

"As you said yourself, I'm considered a genius at my profession. My talents can be utilized the best when I'm working on a case.", Law replied.

That answer didn't seem to please Doflamingo but Law ignored the look of disappointment on his face.

"Why did you choose to become a contract killer?", he fired back.

"You sound so sure of yourself when you label me like that. As far as I remember, I told you that I met with a man who gave me a list of names. Do you blame the trap or the hunter who sets it?", Doflamingo chuckled.

"A trap doesn't get to choose. A human does.", Law growled.

"So it seems I am considered a human being after all!", Doflamingo cheered.

An amused smile on his lips spread on Law's lips.

For some odd reason, he felt thrilled at the back and forth between them.

Doflamingo seemed to enjoy himself as well.

"I like that look on your face.", he mused.


	3. Deal

The main building of the Shinsekai City Police Department greeted them with its pagoda-shaped tower and glazed front side as Law and Smoker arrived at the parking lot.

Sometimes Law found it hard to believe that it had only been two years since he first entered these headquarters.

Smoker hadn't said a single word during the drive. They never spoke much when they worked together but Law sensed his partner's disapproval even if he didn't voice it.

"I think I'm really onto something with this guy.", Law said before Smoker could leave the car,

"I know you think he can't be trusted and I agree with that... but I really feel like this could work."

Smoker opened the door to the passenger seat but suddenly closed it again.

He blew a cloud of smoke into the air and looked at his partner.

"Law, your talent as a profiler saved my ass more than once and I usually wouldn't doubt your instincts but this bastard is a total wild card. For starters, why did he choose you out of all the agents?"

Law held Smoker's gaze while he replied.

"He gathered information about all the detectives and agents that worked on his case. I caught his interest because he believes us to resemble each other."

"Did he tell you that?"

Law smirked.

"Not directly."

Smoker laughed dryly and exited the car.

Tashigi was already waiting for him in front of the main entrance.

* * *

On their third meeting, Doflamingo decided to be a brat.

"The food in this place tastes awful."

"I take it you're not in a chatting mood today?", Law asked as he sat down on his chair.

"I am in a mood of 'I am hungry, I want a hot bath and my neck hurts'."

"You poor thing.", Law whined theatrically.

Doflamingo glared at him but the familiar shark smile quickly returned to his face.

"I see you forgot your tie today. I have to say, Agent Law, despite your name you never looked like the in-conformity-with-the-system type of guy to me. I'm also surprised the SCPD hired a police agent with the word 'DEATH' tattooed on his fingers."

Law studied his own hands nonchalantly .

Doflamingo watched him for moment before he phrased his next question.

"What are the chances that someone you cared about died?"

Law formed his hand into a fist.

He gave Doflamingo the finger with the letter "A" on it.

The blond man laughed.

"What does Kaido look like?", Law changed the topic.

"He's a big guy."

Doflamingo looked bored by the question and rested his head on his hands.

"I like your earrings. Are your nipples pierced as well?"

_Back to breaking boundaries_, Law thought but decided to play along.

"Well thank you and no, they're not."

Doflamingo pursed his lips.

Law noticed that he wore golden earrings as well.

"Does he have any remarkable features?", he broached the original subject again.

Doflamingo rested his finger beneath his lips and chuckled.

"Oh yes, he does. He has these very gloomy looking eyes, black pointy hair and a cute goatee."

A deep sigh escaped Law's lips but he quickly turned it into a smirk.

"I wasn't talking about your dream man."

Doflamingo raised his head and looked at Law with a curious expression.

"Do you think I like cocks?", he asked bluntly.

That one threw him off guard but Law tried his best to control the tension that suddenly seized his body.

_The best defense is offense_, he thought.

And so he continued.

"I think you like me. You think we are alike. You see yourself in me."

"Oh I do see myself in you...", the man chuckled.

The sound of his voice made Law uncomfortable but he knew that he was driving the man into a corner.

"What are the chances that someone YOU cared about died_?_", he asked, using Doflamingo's own question against him.

The smiling man leaned back in his seat.

He didn't speak to Law for the rest of the day.

* * *

On his way home, Law decided to take a detour.

His mind was still filled with images of the conversation he had with Doflamingo and he desperately wished for a distraction.

He drove along the city's harbor so he could see the ocean glowing with the lights of the night.

The radio was playing a calming soul song but Law wasn't in the mood for that.

He switched between the channels until a familiar melody caught his attention.

Law listened to the lyrics and felt his mind wandering off to a distant place in his memories.

_Leaning over you here  
Cold and catatonic  
I catch a brief reflection  
Of what you could and might have been_

He saw himself standing in front of a hospital bed.

He recognized the body lying there, attached to intravenous tubes.

The cuts on the wrists were deeper this time.

_Wake up  
And face me  
Don't play dead  
'Cause maybe  
Someday  
I will walk away and say  
You disappoint me  
Maybe you're better off this way _

His past self gripped the edge of the bed.

He screamed at the seemingly unconscious person.

_Go ahead and play dead  
I know that you can hear this  
Go ahead and play dead_

_Why can't you turn and face me?_  
_Why can't you turn against me?_  
_  
_

He looked at the pale face, the red lines beneath the eyes and noticed a tear forming there.

__You fucking disappoint me__

Law was ripped out of his memory when he noticed the headlights and loud hoot of the car that had appeared in front of him.

He pulled away just in time to avoid the collision.

The other driver was screaming at him.

Law stopped the car at the side of the road and panted with shock. His hands were shaking on the steering wheel.

_He almost had a car crash._

_What was wrong with him?_

When his breathing returned back to normal, Law drove back on the road.

All he wanted was to go home.

When he stumbled through the door of his apartment, he didn't bother to turn on the lights. Law stripped himself off his clothes and walked towards the bathroom.

The hot water on his back felt like salvation and he sat down inside the shower. His tattooed arms encircled his legs as the water rained down on him.

Wrapped in a towel, he exited the bathroom and fell down on his bed.

He didn't fall asleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

"I wonder why you didn't choose to become a psychologist.", Doflamingo mused during their next meeting.

"Why join the police and get on the streets? Someone like you could live a wealthy life in this city. Why bother with a low salary and working conditions that could easily get you killed?"

Law felt too tired for Doflamingo's asking games.

His back hurt and he massaged his temples in an attempt to stop his headache.

"I'm obviously an adrenaline junkie...", he sighed.

"What about you? Why didn't you choose a 'normal' profession?", he mumbled.

Doflamingo chuckled quietly.

"I feel like you and I aren't too similar after all. You see, I always wished for a life where no one would be able to control me. You on the other hand craved the strong will of 'justice' to return control to your life."

Law narrowed his eyes.

The headache was getting worse.

Doflamingo watched his irritation with amused curiosity.

"My first impressions are usually right and you didn't strike me as the self-righteous type.

You are, however, your own kind of 'Batman' in a way.

You follow what the leaders of this city call 'justice' but you don't seem to fit in with the rest of the people.

No, you seem to be something else entirely."

"Enlighten me.", Law rolled his eyes.

Doflamingo gave him a sympathetic smile and started to explain.

"The people in this city, especially your colleagues at the office,

they are dogs.

But you are a wolf.

You live among them and even earned their respect but you were not born to live in a kennel.

While the dogs sleep at night in their cages, you lie awake and howl to the moon.

The masters taught you not the bite the hand that feeds you but you were born to live free.

And still you allow them to put a collar around your neck.

You allow them to control your life."

Law stared bewildered at Doflamingo.

"Is it because... you don't trust yourself anymore? Do you blame yourself for someone else's misery? Is that why you try so desperately to be good?"

After hearing those words, Law wanted nothing more than to punch the smile right off Doflamingo's face.

But instead, he suppressed his anger and tried to keep calm.

"You make it sound like you are free and thereby superior to me.

But the truth is that you are the one in a jail cell with no hot water and a bench for a bed.

The way you cling to this idea of freedom got me thinking... you have to be scared shitless of going to prison."

The smile immediately disappeared from Doflamingo's face.

And suddenly, Law felt confident enough to take it one step further.

"You can analyse me and toy with me all you want but you don't know anything about my past. Your freedom depends on me. I am the one in control."

For a moment, he was sure that Doflamingo would strangle him.

The anger that radiated from the man's body made Law lean back into his seat.

His fingers were tightly intertwined and almost shaking with tension.

Law was sure that he had just hit a nerve and that something was going to break within the next minutes, whether it be a table or one of his bones.

The tall man seemed to recognize the fear in Law's eyes and decided to speak.

"If what you say is true, I guess I'll have no choice but to obey you."

Doflamingo's voice was dripping with menace.

"Then tell me, Agent, what do you want me to do?"

Law couldn't believe what he was hearing.

It had to be a trick.

But what if he had truly won this time?

He decided to test the man.

"I want you to write down a detailed description of Kaido's appearance and a list with the names of all his associates that you know of."

Doflamingo studied Law's face with a look of disappointment.

"I have a better idea. I could contact one of his associates and arrange a meeting with him at the Zoan. You will allow me to get a free run and be my company in the club. I can't promise you that you will meet Kaido in person but if he allows me to return, he will surely want to speak with me."

A thousand thoughts of possible outcomes raced through Law's head.

Eventually, he decided to follow his intuition.

"Alright, but I'll have to speak with my colleagues about this first before we can make a deal."

"Fine with me."

Doflamingo looked satisfied.

His smile returned to its original state of non-hostility and even seemed playful.

"By the way, Law..."

He pulled one of his shoes off without Law noticing.

While forming his next words, the tall man slowly extended his leg beneath the table.

"You seem a bit worn out today."

Law flinched when he felt something brush against his lower leg.

Grey eyes stared at the man who spoke to him as if nothing was going on beneath the table.

"Was it another nightmare or... did you make someone lucky?"

Law gulped and clenched his hands.

His body tensed as Doflamingo's foot moved up his thigh.

"Stop this.", he gasped.

"Stop what?"

Doflamingo's foot neared Law's groin while the man straight out leered at him.

"You know that I am right about you."

Law felt his breath become faster.

His oversensitive body betrayed him as it reacted to the other man's touch.

"You can go to work, fuck your girlfriend and act ordinary..."

Doflamingo's toes brushed between Law's legs.

"...but you will still howl to the moon."

"ENOUGH!", Law yelled.

He pushed himself away from the table and stumbled to his feet.

The door slammed shut before Doflamingo had the chance to say another word.

* * *

**AN:**

**The lyrics belong to 'Passive' from A Perfect Circle.**

**I'm no native speaker so I sometimes still don't know how this 'english' works x)  
**

****Thanks for your follows/faves and reviews :)****


	4. Walk back

"Good morning Sir! I have the reports you wanted me to collect! Oh and here is the 'special file' you wanted to take a look at."

Smoker lit himself another cigar while the two of them walked along the hallway that lead to their office.

Smoker took the 'special file' with the name tag 'DOFLAMINGO' from his subordinate's hands.

"I couldn't find anything else on the suspect than the information Agent Law has already collected."

Tashigi readjusted her glasses and glanced at Smoker with worried eyes.

"I agree that we need to find out more about this man but shouldn't we discuss this with Agent Law directly?", she asked carefully.

Smoker continued to walk ahead without answering Tashigi's question.

He flicked through the pages of Doflamingo's file until a certain witness statement caught his attention.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Sir?"

Tashigi noticed the serious look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Smoker removed the witness report from the file and compared it to the others.

The statement was from a man called Sei Myosgard and included a detailed description of Doflamingo's appearance. Myosgard claimed to have seen how Doflamingo kidnapped a man right of the streets who later turned out to be one of the missing informants.

"Sei Myosgard... isn't that man a member of the parliament?"

Tashigi looked surprised.

"Uh... yes, I think he belongs to the conservative noble party that currently heads the government.", she mused.

Smoker's eyes narrowed.

"What are the chances that a high-ranking politician like him just happens to take a walk around that kind of neighborhood in the middle of the night?"

* * *

Commissioner Hina stared at the huge map that hung from the wall of her office. Several files and reports piled up her desk next to an assortment of full ashtrays. She took a marker and added another square to a large, edged in red area on the map.

A cloud of smoke escaped her lips and she frowned deeply.

"You see that?", Hina asked while she turned around.

Smoker was leaning against her door frame.

"'SMILE' has spread across yet another quarter of the city and we still have no clue on where it is manufactured or who created it. All we managed was to arrest a couple of drug dealers and addicts who are too scared to tell us anything about the masterminds behind this mess. To make things even better, the ones who actually did talk to us are all dead now."

Hina dropped the marker on her desk and opened a new box of cigarettes.

Smoker handed her a piece of paper.

"Why did Sei Myosgard claim that he saw Doflamingo in one of the 'SMILE' districts?"

The question earned him a confused look.

"He's a politician involved with the government and you tell me he just goes out to take a walk along the ultimate drug district?", Smoker huffed.

"Do you think that he might be a 'SMILE' addict?", the commissioner asked after she finished reading the paper.

"Either that or he deliberately lied to us."

"Then why would he know about Doflamingo's appearance and the abduction of the victim?"

"I don't know but something about the way he described the kidnapping just seems... rehearsed."

Hina's gaze switched from Smoker's face back to the paper in her hand.

"Have you spoken with Law about this?"

Smoker shook his head.

"Not yet. He's still questioning the boa bastard."

Hina kept quiet for a moment.

She slowly returned the paper to Smoker.

"We will talk about this later. If you catch Law, tell him that the first division will have a meeting in my office."

Smoker nodded and returned to Tashigi who was waiting behind the door.

* * *

The two security guards outside the private room flinched simultaneously when Law burst through the door.

They stared at him with wide eyes.

"Is everything okay Mister?"

"We heard you yell in there."

"Do you need assist?"

Law glanced at the two men and quickly shook his head.

"No. No just... just get him back to his cell.", he coughed and moved away from the door.

Law was still breathing heavily while he hurried to get as far away from that psychopath as possible.

He rushed towards an elevator when he noticed someone at the other end of the hallway.

"Not so fast.", Smoker said as he stepped in front of Law.

They almost bumped together and Law glared the man who was blocking his way.

"Get lost. I'm heading home.", he growled.

Smoker eyed his partner's disheveled appearance and frowned at him.

"What happened to you?"

Law averted his eyes.

"Nothing. Now what's so damn important?", he snarled.

Smoker didn't like the way Law talked back to him but decided to ignore his random hissy fit for the time being.

"Commissioner Hina and I have something to talk to you about."

"I also have things to discuss with you but I'm heading home for now. Get lost."

Law was trying to walk past the white-haired man when a gloved hand gripped his shoulder tightly.

"This isn't an offer, Agent Law. It's an order."

Law pushed Smoker's hand away and gritted his teeth.

"Fine."

* * *

Minutes later, Law leaned against the wall in Hina's office with his arms crossed.

He scowled at Smoker who was standing next to him and taking a long drag from his cigar.

"What's your opinion on Smoker's suspicions?", Hina asked.

She had explained Smoker's theory that Sei Myosgard might be somehow involved with the underground network.

The fact that a politician of the conservative noble party happened to cross a street in a 'SMILE' district was indeed suspicious.

Only higher class citizens were allowed to join the noble party. The majority of them lived in the most expansive neighborhoods of the city and were never seen around any of the poorer districts.

But what bugged Law the most was that all of this seemed terribly familiar.

"The government involved with a murder case...", Hina mused.

She looked at Law and chose her next words carefully.

"I don't wanna draw any hasty conclusions... but this reminds me of a series of political murders that we dealt with thirteen years ago..."

Law's face fell and Tashigi who stood next to Smoker stared at them in shock.

"Political murder?!", she shrieked.

"Thirteen years ago, a total of ten people were killed within the same day. It's a cold case by now because the SCPD was never able to find the culprit.", Smoker murmured.

"The victims were downright executed. Shot to the head, right between the eyes every single time.", Hina explained.

"How terrible.", they heard Tashigi whisper. Her eyes sank to the floor.

Smoker side-glanced at Law whose body was getting more tense by the minute.

"A former SCPD commissioner suspected a contract killing behind the murders. He also believed that a member of the government ordered the killings.", he said with a low voice.

Tashigi gasped in shock.

"What? Why would the government order someone to kill innocent citizens?!"

Hina closed her eyes and sighed.

"The former commissioner discovered that the victims were secret dissidents. They were part of an illegal resistance movement against the government."

Tashigi gaped at her.

"You... you're saying that they were killed because they opposed the system?"

Silence followed Tashigi's question.

Hina's eyes opened again and moved to Law.

"Of course none of this could ever be proven.", she remarked.

The black-haired man suddenly laughed bitterly.

He raised his head and returned his commissioner's gaze.

With no idea on what was going on, Tashigi's eyes switched between her colleagues in confusion.

The meeting ended with Law telling them about the deal Doflamingo proposed. To no surprise, Smoker immediately opposed the idea while Hina decided to give it a chance. She ordered Smoker and Tashigi to gather information about the Zoan's whereabouts and dismissed Law for the day.

Law left the room without saying another word to any of them.

After hours of research, Tashigi gathered enough courage to ask Smoker the question that had been burning on her tongue.

"Sir... I was wondering... about Agent Law... he seemed to know more about this case from thirteen years ago..."

"His parents were two of the victims.", Smoker whispered.

"What?!"

Smoker raised a finger to his lips.

His subordinate covered her mouth with her hands and looked around the office which was empty except for the two of them.

Smoker sighed.

"What I just told you isn't exactly common knowledge. Law even changed his name before he joined the SCPD.", he continued.

"Oh my...", Tashigi whispered, "...losing his parents at such a young age..."

"Don't talk to him about this. I just told you so you wouldn't ask any stupid questions."

Tashigi nodded with a pained look on her face and Smoker's eyes returned to the monitor of his computer.

They sat in silence for the rest of the night.

* * *

_He was back at the stairs but she was already standing there and looking past him._

_Her eyes were already staring at the kitchen floor._

_"D-don't look! Don't look Lamie!", Law heard himself beg._

_He saw how her eyes became empty and he knew that they would stay this way for a very long time._

_Suddenly, the scene changed and he was back at the hospital._

_"Please Lamie... please talk to me..."_

_He held his sister's hand while she was staring in the distance._

_Law was kneeling in front of her armchair that stood next to the window._

_As usual, she didn't speak a single word._

_"Lamie... don't... don't leave... please don't leave..."_

_The room around him changed once more._

_This time, he was back at the porch of his old house and stood in front of the door._

_A strange dome around his house was separating it from the rest of the world. _

_The dome looked like a blue sphere with nothing but darkness on the outside._

_Law stared at the broken door and slowly moved away from the porch._

_He wanted to run back to school but the sphere around him was suddenly closing in._

_Law stared at the blue, transparent wall that rushed towards him and braised himself against the impact._

_But the next moment, he was somehow back inside the kitchen._

_A tall man was standing in front of his dead parents._

_Scratching and snarling sounds reached his ears. _

_The man stepped away and Law wanted to scream at the scene before his eyes._

_The corpses of two giant wolves lay on the kitchen floor and were devoured by a pack of dogs that gathered around them._

_Blood splattered everywhere as the dogs ripped the wolves' flesh and bones apart with a horrible noise._

_Law couldn't stop a terrified scream from escaping his mouth._

_The dogs suddenly let go of the corpses. _

_They slowly turned around and stared at Law._

_"No... no please..."_

_Law moved backwards as the dogs creeped into his direction._

_They jumped at him and Law felt their jaws closing around his limbs but then the scene changed yet again._

_To his relief, he found himself standing in the bathroom of his apartment._

_His arms grabbed the sink and water was running down the drain._

_Law raised his head and looked into the mirror._

_Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Doflamingo's face stared right back at him._

_The man was smiling as usual and slowly raised his hands. _

_His fingers moved through the mirror until they reached Law's face._

_The blond man grabbed his head and pulled Law towards himself. _

_Law's body went through the mirror and was now floating next to Doflamingo within a dark space._

_His eyes watched in horror how the skin on Doflamingo's arms started to bleed with what looked like a million tiny stitches._

_The man seemed to relish with the pain when blood-soaked feathers grew from the stitches in his arms and extended into a pair of wings._

_Suddenly, Law's body became very heavy and he felt gravity dragging him down into the dark abyss._

_His hand reached out for Doflamingo who was watching him fall._

_A sad smile graced his lips._

* * *

Law's eyes snapped open.

He sat up on his bed and felt cold sweat dripping down his face.

He subconsciously extended his hand to the other side of his bed but the space beside him was empty.

He also noticed that he was still wearing his suit.

His eyes focused on the alarm clock on the nightstand.

Right... it had only been an hour since he had arrived back home.

He hadn't called Margaret yet either.

The images of his nightmare were still present in his mind and Law felt a wave of panic rise in his chest. His hands were shaking as he reached for his cell phone on the nightstand.

Minutes later, Margaret was knocking on his door.

She gasped in surprise when the door snapped open. Law pulled her inside.

"Trafalgar? What happened? You look really pale! Did something-"

Law silenced her with a rough kiss.

He hastily pulled the coat off her shoulders and pushed her against the door.

He didn't give Margaret any time for further questions as he kissed her neck and pressed himself against her body.

She moaned softly when his lips moved to her cleavage.

"Trafalgar... you seem... different to-"

His lips covered hers again.

Law pushed up her skirt and hurried to unzip his pants.

Margaret moaned into the kiss when she felt his hand between her legs.

She ran her shaking fingers through the dark strands of his hair while his tongue danced against her own.

Her underwear fell to the floor next to Law's pants and shorts.

He pushed inside her and Margaret broke the kiss to moan loudly.

Law guided her legs to wrap around his waist and moved deeper.

He tried to focus on the warmth that was now encircling him and the pleasure building in his lower body.

Margaret was nearly screaming every time he thrust into her but her voice was a mere background noise to his ears.

In his mind, Law was still trapped in the darkness of his dream's memory, no matter how much he forced his body to experience the present.

The images refused to fade away.

_Doflamingo's wings appeared in the darkness._

_They were glowing with a red light as he landed on his bare feet and to stand next to Law._

_Doflamingo looked at him and smiled._

_"I should have brought a flashlight.", the winged man chuckled._

Law noticed Margaret's orgasm when she screamed his name right next to his ear.

It took him a couple of seconds to realize that he had come inside her as well.

The blond woman in his arms gasped for air and rested her head on his shoulder. Apparently, she was too exhausted to speak.

Law carried her to his bedroom where she rested on his mattress, still panting and covered in sweat.

After that, he locked himself inside the bathroom.

As he stepped into the shower and leaned his head against the wall, the hot water slowly began to run down his skin.

* * *

**AN:**

**Hi.**

**I guess I should warn you that I might not be able to update as soon as before.**

**Blame the government.**

***HA***

**No. **

**Blame the university for making me study... x)**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	5. Free

Doflamingo's hidden eyes watched time tick away as he waited for the agent to arrive.

At this point, Law was thirty minutes late and the blond man was beginning to feel impatient.

He started to fidget around his chair while he looked around the room until his gaze returned to the clock above the door once again. To keep his legs from flailing, Doflamingo decided to stand up and walk around.

White curtains covered the window to his right. The curtains were transparent enough to see through. Doflamingo looked down at the parking lot in front of the building and tried to figure out which car might belong to Trafalgar Law.

He was so absorbed in his self-imposed task that he nearly flinched when the door finally opened.

"Sit down.", Law ordered and dropped his suitcase on top of the table.

Doflamingo's first impulse was to provoke the agent for speaking with such a commanding voice.

But the seriousness in the younger man's eyes made him sit down and wait for whatever Law was up to.

The suitcase snapped open and the agent handed him a couple of photographs.

Doflamingo looked at the faces of a woman with long smooth hair and a man with glasses, black hair and a light beard.

The last photograph showed them lying in a pool of their own blood with bullet holes in their foreheads.

The blond man looked back at Law whose gloomy gaze was fixated on his face as if he was trying to read his reaction.

"Were you paid to kill these people?", Law asked with a gravelly voice.

Doflamingo's eyes switched back to the photographs and he clicked his tongue.

"I can't really tell... with all this blood on their pretty faces.", he mused.

Law's pupils shrank to tiny dots.

The next second, he drew the pistol from his jacket and pointed it to Doflamingo's head.

"I'll ask you one more time."

Doflamingo remained unmoved in his seat.

A smile tugged at his lips.

"Did someone pay you to kill these people?", Law repeated the question with a lot more hatred in his voice.

The blond man chuckled.

Law cocked the gun.

"Answer.", he growled.

The smile disappeared from Doflamingo's face.

The agent frowned as the man before him slowly removed the purple sunglasses from his face.

He returned the agent's gaze with his now revealed eyes.

Doflamingo leaned forward in his seat until the tip of Law's pistol touched his forehead.

"I didn't kill them.", he whispered.

Law stared into the other man's eyes and searched for any sign of a lie.

But there were none.

No nervous gesture, no change in his facial expression or vocal inflection.

There was absolutely no resistance in his body language.

Law lowered the gun.

The tension that he had carried around for days slowly left his body.

Of course there was no real proof that the man on the other side of the table wasn't responsible for the death of his parents but Law's intuition told him to relax for now.

For the first time in days, he felt something like relief.

"Just now, you looked like you were ready to kill me. What was that about?", Doflamingo asked curiously.

The black-haired agent returned the pistol to its holster and closed the suitcase.

At this point, there was no reason to hide the truth.

"Ever since we caught you... I have been reliving memories from a sort of... depression... that I went through years ago. I needed this... to stop myself from falling back into the past."

Doflamingo watched Law's face carefully but didn't feel the need to respond.

Law decided to move on with the negotiations.

"The commissioner considers your offer. On the condition that you'll be monitored during the entire operation."

"As expected.", Doflamingo murmured.

"I'll meet up with my team and give you the details on the operation as soon as we're finished.", Law stated.

"Operation... is that how you call our date?", Doflamingo chuckled.

Law sighed deeply.

He was already at the door when Doflamingo decided to speak once more.

"If the nightmares won't disappear, you got the wrong distraction..."

The blond man spoke with a sudden gentle voice and Law stared at him in surprise.

"...alcohol helps..."

For the first time, it didn't seem like he was trying to manipulate or provoke him.

Doflamingo looked lost in thought until the purple sunglasses returned to his eyes and the man's characteristic smile appeared again.

"I guess I always liked the 'emotionally-struggling' type, fufufu."

* * *

"We located the 'Zoan'."

The members of the first investigation division watched closely as Hina pointed at the map behind her.

She was wearing the same kind of dark red suit and white shirt that she always wore but Law noticed that her hair and make up looked messier than usual.

Maybe she had left a lover in the early morning while he was still sleeping.

Or maybe, that was just Law feeling bad about himself and hoping he wasn't the only one who did such things.

Law knew that Margaret didn't deserve to be treated like that but he was still desperate to avoid any kind of emotional attachment.

At times, he noticed the way she looked at him and felt the sudden need to distance himself.

But he also knew that acting this way made him a coward.

"The official owner of the club, as far as we know, goes by the alias of 'Kaido'. You all know we suspect this man to be the head of the criminal network we now know as 'A hundred beasts". Thanks to Agent Law's negotiations, we might be able to infiltrate the club and collect evidence that confirms our suspicion."

Hina gave Law a nod of approval.

The black-haired agent didn't acknowledge her appreciation. Instead he gazed at the cup of coffee between his hands.

Smoker who was sitting at the desk next to him decided to speak up.

"I recall that Doflamingo wanted us to grant him a free run during this operation. How are we going to make sure that he won't escape or attack Agent Law?"

"He agreed to wear a tracking device around his ankle. He and Law will be wired as well to record the evidence. This way, we will be able to monitor him.", Hina explained.

"He hasn't actually agreed to do that, has he?", Smoker murmured.

"He agreed to contact one of Kaido's officers who could grant us access to the club. He said that I could join him as his 'company' but that he couldn't promise me that Kaido would be there or even talk to us directly.", Law muttered into his coffee.

The white-haired agent blew smoke from his nose.

"This sounds like a shot in the dark to me.", he grumbled.

"That doesn't change the fact that it's the best shot we got.", Hina remarked.

The two of them stared at each other with emotionally charged looks.

Law had always had his suspicions about Hina and Smoker. They knew each other since training school and had great respect for the other. But lately, they seemed to disagree more than usual.

Law decided to end the staring contest.

"Give the devices to me. I have a feeling Doflamingo won't let any of you near him without trying to provoke some kind of reaction..."

Hina looked surprised but nodded.

"Alright, but make sure everything works before you let him loose."

"If we are really going this far, me and Tashigi will keep a close ear on everything that this boa bastard does during the operation."

"Yes Sir!", Tashigi exclaimed.

Hina rolled her eyes at the young woman and Law took a mental note that she had never done this before.

"I have to talk to Doflamingo again. I'll let you know when we're ready."

* * *

Minutes later, Law waved a set of keys in front of Doflamingo's sunglasses.

"Guess who rides shotgun."

Doflamingo grinned widely and raised from his seat.

He followed Law to the building's garage.

They entered a white van with darkened windows and Doflamingo sat down behind the driver's seat.

He leaned forward and his face appeared next to Law who was sitting behind the wheel.

"You mind taking these off?", he asked and pointed at his handcuffs.

"Not quite yet. I have to prepare you first."

"Ooohh... I see."

Law reached for the suitcase with the tracking devices when he suddenly felt the chain of Doflamingo's handcuffs around his throat.

He was struggling for air as Doflamingo slowly raised the pressure against his neck.

"Give me the keys.", he whispered to Law's ear.

Law considered to grab his gun but his intuition told him otherwise.

Instead he gave the keys to Doflamingo who let him go immediately.

Within seconds, the handcuffs dropped to the floor and Doflamingo climbed onto the seat next to Law.

The blond man shook his wrists and his joints creaked with the motion.

"Aahh, finally! Did you know how annoying these things are?"

Law was coughing violently and stared at the man next to him.

He rubbed the sore skin on his throat.

"What's the big idea?!", he rasped.

The man smiled at him.

"Sorry about that but I have to go somewhere first before you may 'prepare' me."

Law reached for his pistol but before he could move any further, Doflamingo grabbed the back of his skull and hit his head against the dashboard.

Everything around Law turned black as his consciousness slipped away.

* * *

The next time he opened his eyes, Law found himself lying on a couch.

His hand came up to touch his temple which was hurting badly.

The boa bastard had knocked him out.

While Law cursed his own levity, his eyes looked around the room.

It seemed like he was trapped in a large apartment which was crammed with moving boxes among expansive looking furniture.

The front side of the room was completely made of glass and Law could see that they were far above the city, probably in one of the Skypeia Apartments in the downtown district.

The floor consisted of black marble and covered with a white wool carpet. In front of the couch stood a small cocktail table with a slim glass top and wooden base.

A huge, futuristic looking chandelier hung from the centre of the room right above Law and shone with a warm light.

Law noticed that his pistol was gone, along with his phone and jacket.

He scanned the room for anything that could be used as a weapon when suddenly one of doors to his right swung open.

Doflamingo exited what seemed to be the bathroom in a cloud of vapor and with a towel around his waist.

His skin was shining with dampness and he brushed wet strands of hair out of his face.

Law stared at him in anger.

"You bastard.", he growled.

The tall man only grinned at him.

"Good morning starshine. I'm sorry I left you like that but I really needed that shower."

Law hardly suppressed the urge to strangle Doflamingo.

"Where the hell are we?"

"One of my safe houses. I thought if we are going to a club, I should look somewhat presentable and not like I spent the last days in custody, right?"

Law continued to choke him in his mind but couldn't deny the logic behind his words.

Doflamingo stepped in front of Law and pointed at a suitcase next to the couch.

"Don't worry, I brought your toys.", he chuckled.

Law frowned at the suitcase and lifted it from the ground.

He put it down on the cocktail table and opened the lock.

In it lay the tracker and wiretaps Hina had given to him before he left.

Nothing seemed to be missing from the devices which only caused Law to frown more deeply.

His narrowed eyes looked up at Doflamingo.

The tall man smiled down at him and purred:

"Undress."

A muscle beneath Law's eye twitched.

Doflamingo burst out laughing.

"Fufufu, you have to wear one of those too, right? I can't tape the wires to your body while you're wearing that shirt."

Shock turned into confusion and finally into disbelief.

"Are you saying that you still want to go through with the plan?"

"Why not?"

Law couldn't believe how this day had turned out but decided to just go with it now.

Even though he was highly suspicious of everything Doflamingo said.

"Fine... let's start with you then.", he sighed.

Doflamingo smiled at the annoyance in the younger agent's voice and stepped closer to him.

Law removed the tracker from the suitcase and checked Doflamingo's face one more time for any sign of disapproval.

The blond man sat down on the couch next to Law without breaking eye contact.

Law flinched slightly when Doflamingo's foot dropped on his lap.

"Go ahead. Make me feel like Cinderella.", Doflamingo purred.

Law released a deep breath and tried to focus all of his attention on the task of wrapping the tracker around Doflamingo's ankle.

Flirtation was a tool that the man used to distract his opponent.

Law experienced it before and shouldn't feel surprised.

But it still served to make him uncomfortable.

After he finished, Doflamingo studied the electronic tag around his leg with curious eyes.

A sudden smirk tugged at Law's lips and he couldn't stop himself from saying:

"Sorry. We ran out of pink ones."

Doflamingo threw his head back and laughed out loud.

Law smiled to himself and took one the wiretaps from the suitcase.

It was a small microphone connected to long wires and a radio transmitter.

For some reason, Law found himself in a somewhat playful mood despite his current situation.

He pushed Doflamingo's foot away and stood in front of him.

"Since you're too damn tall, it might be best if you just sit straight and try not to move."

He heard the man chuckle but he obeyed Law's command without complaining.

Law taped the microphone to Doflamingo's chest and felt an unexpected sting of envy as he noticed the man's incredibly defined muscles.

Doflamingo's wiry stature seemed similar to Law's own body except for his broad chest and shoulders and that ridiculous height of his.

Law also noticed a bunch of pale scars on the man's tanned skin. Some of them were old bullet wounds, others had surely been inflicted by blades.

Law taped the wire along the side of Doflamingo's torso until he reached his hipbone.

A muscle flinched along the blond man's belly when Law's fingers accidentally brushed the crook between his hip and lower abdomen.

Their eyes met and Law could have sworn that Doflamingo looked a slightly flustered.

"I'm ticklish.", the tall man whispered with a shy smile.

Law couldn't keep the smirk from his lips. He finished his work by taping the small transmitter to Doflamingo's back.

"Well this is comfortable...", Doflamingo mumbled as he raised from the couch.

Despite everything, Law noticed that he didn't feel angry anymore.

Instead he found himself staring at Doflamingo's scars and thought back to his dream where those arms had been covered in hundreds of feathers.

"You're done checking me out?"

"Huh?"

Grey eyes snapped back to reality and Law realized that he had been staring at the other man for far too long.

Doflamingo grinned at the younger man's sudden lack of words.

Law quickly averted his eyes and started to loosen his tie.

He felt Doflamingo's eyes following the movements of his hands as they unbuttoned his shirt.

It made him even more uncomfortable as the tension around them seemed to increase by the minute.

The shirt fell down on the couch and Law took the second device from the suitcase.

He was about to speak when he noticed Doflamingo straight out gaping at him.

This caused Law to suddenly feel highly self-conscious about his body and he cursed himself for reacting this way.

In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way.

Law was very confident about his body and yet he was comparing himself to the blond man and for the first time in years felt truly naked beneath someone else's gaze.

Doflamingo's eyes seemed to shine with wonder and Law decided that an expression like this on the face of a murdering psychopath was extremely disturbing.

"What?", he asked with what he hoped was still a deep voice.

Doflamingo's stare met his eyes and Law felt himself shiver ever so slightly.

"You're tattoos..."

Law blinked a couple of times until his mind caught up with the words.

He looked down at the tribal-style heart tattoo on his chest.

Doflamingo laughed to himself and covered his mouth with his fingers. He moved around Law to look at his back which was also covered in a large tattoo.

"... I didn't expect them to cover this much of your body."

After a while, Law felt like an exhibition piece at the gallery.

He sighed deeply and handed the devices to Doflamingo.

"Would you mind?", he asked, the annoyance evident on his face.

"Oh I don't mind.", Doflamingo giggled.

His smile remained in place while he taped the microphone to Law's chest but his eyes seemed more serious than before.

Law noticed that he deliberately brushed his fingers along his skin while he attached the wire.

Doflamingo somehow managed to find a sensitive spot wherever he touched his body and Law's muscles tensed as he forced himself to stand still.

I didn't help the situation that Law found himself enjoying the scent of Doflamingo's shower gel which made him think of fir trees.

He could still feel the man's eyes on his body and the undeniable tension around them.

Law gulped when Doflamingo's breath grazed the skin on his belly.

"You know this is really..."

"I know."

Their eyes met and Law almost gasped at the sudden intensity with which the other man looked up at him. He quickly averted his eyes and tried to ignore the strange feeling that remained on his skin after Doflamingo stopped touching him.

"All done. I'm gonna get dressed."

"You already arranged the meeting?"

"I arranged that I would be allowed in the club. Let's hope that they won't mind me bringing you to the party. By the way, you should call your division and tell them to tune in."

"Where's my phone?"

Doflamingo pointed to a coat rack behind him and disappeared behind another door.

Law called his headquarters and explained that everything was in control although they hadn't been able to reach him for hours.

His colleagues seemed sceptical but Hina allowed him to go through with the plan.

Once he ended the call, Law wondered if this was all a trap and if he was playing right into Kaido's hands.

In every other case, he wouldn't be able to explain why someone would go to such lengths to trick him but Doflamingo was a different story entirely.

It wouldn't surprise Law if the man had been lying to him this whole time. The sudden physical contact and flirtations might only serve to distract him from the ever-present danger.

After all, the man he was dealing with was a murderer with no sign of remorse for any of his victims.

Law released a deep breath.

Doflamingo burst back into the room with a pile of clothes in his arms.

Law looked at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

Doflamingo was now wearing a black shirt with white seams and red pants with black stripes. Law also noticed a new pair of black and white dress shoes and the familiar feather boa around his neck.

The sunglasses were back in place as well.

Doflamingo threw a black shirt into Law's direction along with a pair of black jeans with a white spot pattern.

"Try these on. I haven't worn them since my teenage days so chances are that they fit you.", he chuckled.

Law gave him an annoyed look but did as he was told.

It surprised him that a man like Doflamingo would still own clothes from his teenage days.

What surprised him even more was that they actually fit him.

"Looks good on you.", Doflamingo smiled.

Law regarded himself in the mirror on the wall next to the bathroom.

He tucked his pistol inside the waistband on his back and turned around to look at Doflamingo.

"The tracker around your ankle is conveying your movements to the SCPD. You realize that the wiretaps record everything we say from now on?", Law explained and gave Doflamingo a knowing look.

The grinning man raised a brow.

"Does that mean I'm not allowed to talk about things like your tattooed nipples or ask you about the size of your-"

Law's hand quickly covered Doflamingo's mouth and he gave him the best death glare he could muster.

He felt the man's lips smile against his palm.

Back at headquarters, Tashigi was blushing madly while Smoker covered his eyes with his hand.

* * *

**AN:**

**aaarrgghhh **

**jjuuussst hoooowww tooo decriiiiibe certaaaiin thiiiings iiin eeenggglisshhh**

**I'm okay.**

**I just need a moment xS**

**Thank you for reading!**

**I have big plans for the next chapter huehuehue**


	6. Zoan

They stepped into an elevator and Doflamingo pushed the button for the underground garage.

"Something tells me we're not going to take the van...", Law mused.

Doflamingo replied with a laugh.

He held a motorcycle helmet against Law's chest and grinned widely.

"You're right about that."

When they arrived at the garage, it took Law a total of five seconds to spot the bike that belonged to Doflamingo.

The bright purple color of the vehicle felt like it was burning his eyes.

It was a specialized motorbike whose engine and tires were unusually large. White pinstripe markings were painted along its body, with a strange, crossed out smiley symbol next to the headlight.

It looked absolutely ridiculous and matched its owner perfectly.

Doflamingo sat down on the motorcycle and patted the seat behind him.

Law swallowed something that tasted like pride and climbed on the bike.

"You'll want to hold on tight, trust me.", the blond man chuckled.

Law huffed and rolled his eyes.

He put on his helmet and wrapped his arms around the other's body.

Doflamingo leaned the bike over with his foot still on the ground and made a quick turnaround.

The engine roared loudly as they drove out of the garage and back on the street.

Uncountable neon signs and light posts blurred together as they dashed over the concrete.

It didn't surprise Law that Doflamingo was a risky driver but up until now he had believed it to be impossible that someone could make a turn in any direction with that amount of speed.

His grip around the man's center tightened whenever they neared another intersection and every time he did, it served to bring a smile to Doflamingo's face.

Law was sure that he would be dead before they even reached the Zoan.

Doflamingo veered around another corner and took a road along the city's river. Law noticed the surface of the water which was a sea of shining colors.

His mind recalled the first time he had met Doflamingo on Reverse Bridge.

He went from pointing a gun to Doflamingo's head to sitting on his motorcycle and wearing his old clothes... it seemed surreal and it made him wonder yet again.

Why was Doflamingo acting this cooperative?

It was true that he intentionally forced Law into getting his way but he also stayed true to his word until now. After the 'kidnapping incident', he could have easily escaped from SCPD for good.

But then again, Doflamingo always seemed to like a challenge.

Law came to think that his own behavior during these last few days had been highly questionable in itself.

Why didn't he offer more resistance to this man?

Why didn't he tell Smoker and the others what truly happened after they left headquarters?

How, he asked himself, was Doflamingo able to distract him from any rational thought within a few touches and suggestive words?

Law was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice their arrival in front of the club.

His mind returned to the present when Doflamingo snapped his fingers against Law's helmet.

"Hey!"

"Look.", Doflamingo said and pointed at what had to be the 'Zoan'.

Law's eyes widened when he saw the extraordinary building located behind a huge gate.

The roof was made of a stained glass dome and illuminated in red and blue lights that moved along the glass panels.

A long line of people waited in front of the gate which was heavily guarded.

Four bouncers with red suits stood behind the gate and allowed some of the crowd to enter.

Doflamingo drove past the horde of people and down into another underground garage that seemed to belong to the building.

Even underground, Law could hear the beat of the music.

* * *

They parked the motorbike between some of the most intimidating cars Law had ever seen.

As he removed his helmet, his eyes caught sight of a big golden elevator at the end of the garage with yet another huge bouncer standing in front of it.

Doflamingo readjusted his sunglasses and gestured for Law to follow him.

The bouncer seemed to recognize the blond man as he immediately opened the door of the elevator.

"Good evening, Mister Donquixote."

Doflamingo gave the man a smile and stepped into the elevator.

Law tried to follow him but the bouncer blocked his way.

"Excuse me Sir but I will have to check you for weapons since you are new to the Zoan."

Before Law could even begin to think of an excuse, Doflamingo grabbed the man's collar and made him look at his grinning face.

His smile was far from good intentions.

"The only one who checks this boy for anything is me.", Doflamingo growled.

He let go of the man and wrapped his arm around Law's shoulders.

"Right. Excuse me Sir, have a good night.", the man said and Doflamingo pushed Law inside elevator.

Law released the breath he had been holding once the doors closed.

"Thanks.", he muttered and looked at Doflamingo's amused face.

"No worries. By the way, this club might seem a bit... unusual to you... try not to freak out."

Law raised his brows.

"Do I look like I'm easily freaked out?", he asked.

The man next to him laughed to himself.

"You'll see what I mean."

The music's volume was increasing drastically once they reached the top floor. The golden doors of the elevator opened and Law tried not to gape at the scene in front of his eyes.

* * *

They entered the highest level of the club which lay right underneath the stained glass dome. The dance floor consisted of glass as well so that they could see the lower level of the club beneath them.

Law noticed go-go dancers standing on illuminated pedestals all around the dance floor. The dancers seemed to wear nothing but animal-like patterns painted on their skin.

He saw a woman with long curls of black hair whose entire back looked like the shell of a turtle and a man with full body painting in the style of a cheetah.

Once they turned in his direction he could see that their faces were also painted to make them look like animals, complete with fake teeth and contacts lenses.

Law's eyes looked up where dance cages hung from chains in the ceiling.

The women inside these cages wore feathers around their bodies that covered at least some of their skin.

Many people on the dance floor were dressed up as well to match the theme of the club.

Law spotted more than one zebra costume and thought of the amount of psychoanalytical books one could write about people wearing zebra costumes and rubbing against each other.

A second dance floor supported by stone pillars roofed above part of the interior.

Three more red-suited bouncers blocked the stairs to the upper floor.

Law suspected Kaido to enjoy himself up there along with his henchmen.

Doflamingo guided Law through the crowd and towards one of the bars that lay beneath the upper dance floor.

"I'm gonna get us a drink. You stay here and stop looking like someone's going to eat you.", he laughed in his ear.

Law gave him a glare and leaned against one of the pillars while Doflamingo made his way to the bar.

His eyes looked down and through the glass floor where he could see the people dancing below them.

Law couldn't deny that he enjoyed the anonymous and alien atmosphere of the club although some of the costumes truly served to freak him out.

The dark melody of the music hummed in his ears and he found himself moving with the beat.

Doflamingo ordered a very expansive bottle of wine. The bartender also handed him a small storage tube filled with a substance of tiny, red crystals.

Law watched Doflamingo through the crowd but didn't see what the bartender gave to him.

The blond man took a sip from the bottle and licked the remaining wine from his lips as he started dancing on his way back to Law.

The flashing red and blue lights reflected in his sunglasses and he seemed to enjoy himself fully.

Law rolled his eyes at the man when someone suddenly blocked his view.

It was a young man covered in golden glitter.

He seemed to be very drunk and leaned on the pillar beside him.

Law wrinkled his brow.

The man stood too close for his taste.

"May I buy you a drink?", the man asked right into Law's ear.

"No."

"Oh come on, don't play hard to get!"

The man took Law's hand and tried to drag him to the dance floor.

Law pulled his hand away and glared at him.

"I said no. I'm not on your side of the fence anyway. Get lost."

Glitter man stepped in front of Law and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

"You're so cute.", he whispered.

Law grabbed the man's arm and bent it behind his back. The man groaned in pain and a couple of girls in the crowd started to look alarmed.

Law let go of his arm and pushed him away.

One of the bouncers stepped down the stairs and was walking in his direction.

Law started to feel uneasy when he suddenly heard Doflamingo's voice next to his ear.

"Dear lord... I leave you alone for one second."

Law flinched involuntarily.

"Where did you come from?"

Doflamingo chuckled and placed a hand on Law's chest.

Law watched with confused eyes how the man pushed him back against the pillar.

He looked back and saw that the bouncer had stopped in tracks.

Doflamingo snapped the lid from the small storage tube in his hand and tipped some of the red crystals into his mouth.

The tall man bent down as he grabbed the back of Law's head.

Law had no idea what was happening until he felt Doflamingo's lips against his own.

His eyes widened.

Heat spread across Law's body like a wild fire and his mind immediately started to panic. He clenched his jaw and digged his nails into Doflamingo's shoulders but the man's strength surpassed his own.

Law felt Doflamingo's hand moving up his chest until his fingers brushed over one of his nipple.

He couldn't help but gasp at the sensation.

As soon as Law's jaw relaxed, Doflamingo deepened the kiss.

Law's eyes closed without his consent as his body focused on the pleasurable feeling of the other man's tongue moving inside his mouth.

He unconsciously loosened his grip and Doflamingo smiled against the younger man's lips.

The music and people around them became distant as the red crystals between their tongues dissolved to take their full effect.

Doflamingo slowly broke the kiss and hummed in satisfaction.

Law tasted the strange substance on his lips and his gaze turned hazy.

A part of himself was screaming in panic but the majority of Law's mind felt strangely at ease.

And suddenly the world around him began to change.

Every image in the background started to blur together and turned into a strange fog that shone with red and blue lights.

The music was the only thing his ears registered and his body felt very light, like it was made of nothing but weightless energy.

His eyes focused on Doflamingo, the only thing separate from the blurry background colors.

Law watched with wide eyes how bloody feathers started to grow from the skin on the man's arms.

The purple sunglasses lost their frame and became one with Doflamingo's face.

Law extended his hand and touched Doflamingo's arm because he couldn't tell if what he saw was real or a hallucination.

He gasped when he felt the soft feathers beneath his fingers.

Law stared at his own hands and saw blood tripping down his fingertips.

He tried to rub the blood of his hands but the more he tried, the more the red fluid spread across his skin.

He was about to scream when he felt Doflamingo's wings wrap around his shoulders and back.

"Smile, my little wolf.", the man whispered into his ear and planted a soft kiss beneath his jaw.

The fear faded away and Law found himself enjoying the other man's caress.

Doflamingo smiled against Law's skin and moved back to his ear.

"You taste just like I imagined."

A shiver ran down his spine and Law quietly gasped for air.

Things were spinning out of his control very quickly and even though his mind was still clouded by whatever Doflamingo had given him, he tried to escape the situation.

Unfortunately, his mouth seemed incapable of forming a complete sentence.

"I... I'm... you... don't..."

Luckily, the drug's effect was decreasing rather quickly and the world around Law slowly returned to its original state.

They were back at the club among a crowd of people and Doflamingo looked like his usual self and not like the winged monster from his nightmares.

Grey eyes blinked a couple of times as Law's mind became clear again.

"You're back on earth, starshine?", he heard Doflamingo chuckle.

Law noticed that they were still embracing each other.

He quickly pushed himself away.

"What the hell was that?"

The look of accomplishment on Doflamingo's face gave Law the chills.

"That was your first taste of SMILE."

Anger finally found its way to Law's senses.

"You drugged me?!"

Doflamingo grinned at him.

"Well, technically, I drugged myself. Blame your lips for looking so tasty. By the way, you didn't put up much of a fight."

Law closed his eyes in mortification.

"Why... did you... do this?"

"You were raising attention. Everybody in here is high on something, that's why they don't care about personal boundaries anymore. You're new and you acted too aggressive. Play along, otherwise there's no way I'll get you anywhere near Kaido.", Doflamingo explained calmly.

Law stared at him and cursed the man for having a point yet again.

"You could have warned me."

"And ruin the surprise?"

Law was ready to kick his balls when someone appeared behind them.

"Mister Donquixote."

Doflamingo turned around and his smile widened.

The man behind him wore a black mask over his eyes. Law noticed a scar in the shape of an 'x' on the man's chin.

"Drake! Nice to see you again."

The man gave them a gloomy look.

"Kaido sent me to find you, he wants to talk with you in private."

Drake pointed to the stairs behind him.

"He also wants you to bring your 'company'."

Law felt Doflamingo's body tense and looked at him in confusion.

"Follow me.", Drake ordered and walked ahead.

"What's wrong?", Law asked quietly.

Once they reached the stairs, Doflamingo lowered his head and whispered to Law's ear.

"This is too easy."

* * *

After they arrived on the upper dance floor, Drake urged them to take a seat on a white couch next to the wall.

A big man sat in an armchair opposite them with two guards on his side. Law was sure that this man who seemed huge, even in comparison to the bouncers, had to be Kaido.

His face remained in the shadows but Law could tell that he was smiling at them.

Doflamingo returned the smile.

"I'm glad we get to see each other again, Kaido."

The man laughed and glanced at Law.

"Doflamingo... seems like you're a fag after all. Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

Law's eyes switched to Doflamingo.

Nothing had changed about his facial expression but Law could still feel the anger radiating from the body next to him.

A sinister undertone mixed with the amusement in the blond man's voice as he laughed to himself.

He looked at Kaido and bared his teeth in his usual shark smile.

"Fufufu, you know me... I have a thing for strong men. Especially the ones who seem so full of themselves, I can't help but wish them to be full of me instead."

Law choked and stared at Doflamingo who he was sure now, must have lost his mind to speak to Kaido this way.

But the man in the shadows only laughed again.

"Hehehe, you truly are a lost cause. I wonder though, what is your doggie's name?"

This time, Law was the one radiating anger.

"The name is D. Water.", he replied and cursed himself a second later.

He shouldn't have used his original name.

"Hoo... is that right?", Kaido mused and proved Law's apprehension.

"Water, huh? I remember a man by that name who used to be very famous among the underground. Got himself killed though. Pretty useless in the end."

Law momentarily forgot about all his previous concerns.

Every muscle in his body tensed as he glared at the man in the shadows.

Kaido suddenly waved his hand and the two guards on his side drew their guns and pointed them at Law's head.

One of them punched him across the face, making Law spit blood on the floor. The other man grabbed him by the hair and pressed his gun against Law's temple.

The smile vanished from Doflamingo's face.

Kaido laughed out loud in his seat.

"What's with that face Mingo? Didn't you bring this lamb to the slaughter?"

Kaido lowered his voice to a threatening growl.

"Or did you plan to betray me by planting this rat right under my nose?"

One of the guards ripped Law's shirt open and revealed the wires on his body. Law groaned in pain when the man tore the device off his skin. His eyes stared at Doflamingo who remained unmoved in his seat.

Doflamingo clicked his tongue and drew a pistol from his waistband that Law recognized as his own.

With a wave of anger, Law realized that he must have stolen it from him earlier.

Doflamingo suddenly jumped to his feet. The shark smile was back in place.

"Fufufufu... who knows? At times, I like to just watch things unfold as I move along."

"This time, it might cost you your head.", Kaido mused.

"You really think trying to kill me is your best option?"

Doflamingo released the safety catch on Law's pistol and pointed it back to the stairs without breaking eye contact with Kaido.

"I might be outnumbered but Drake is gonna have a hole in his head before he can even think about drawing his gun."

Law looked back at the top of the stairs where Drake was standing with one hand reaching into his jacket.

Doflamingo's voice dropped very deep with the same strength in his smile.

"You would lose one of your top officers... and I would still have a lot of bullets left... but then again... I have been missing the taste of blood lately...", he murmured and his tongue licked over his top lip.

"And my blood lust isn't easily satisfied."

Kaido's hand clawed into the armrest.

His huge body seemed to tremble with anger but to everyone's surprise he suddenly burst out laughing.

The deafening volume of his laugh easily drowned out the music until Kaido finally calmed down enough to speak again.

"Hehehe... I see, I see. Well, Doflamingo, how about this; I'll refrain from carving out your guts for now but you'll have to do something for me in return."

Doflamingo didn't lower the gun but looked pleased.

"I'm all ears."

Kaido turned around and looked at Law with an evil, sickening smile on his face.

"Kill the rat."

Panic and rage mixed within Law's chest and his eyes searched Doflamingo's hidden gaze.

The tall man pursed his lips. Within the blink of an eye, the pistol switched to his other hand and suddenly pointed to Law's head.

"Sure.", he laughed.

Kaido grinned maliciously in his seat.

Law stared at Doflamingo.

His body tensed with the painful sensation of betrayal which quickly turned into anger.

"You fucker."

Doflamingo looked down at the agent.

"Were those your last words, starshine?"

The smile in his voice made Law want to throw up.

But instead, he spat a load of blood right into the tall man's face.

"Burn in hell you piece of shit.", Law growled.

Doflamingo's fingers slowly wiped through the blood on his cheek and he looked at the red fluid with a calm expression.

The scene playing out before his eyes made Kaido shake with laughter.

"Hehehehehe, this is hilarious, really! I would love to watch some more but you guys should take it outside. I want to enjoy my club without you dirtying the floor."

Law glared at Doflamingo while the guard dragged him to a second elevator.

His vision turned black once someone pulled a bag over his head.

* * *

**AN:**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D**

**Thanks for your support, it keeps me motivated.^^**


	7. Beaten

"Law! Law wake up!"

Grey eyes opened slowly to find a familiar face looking down on them.

"Smoker?", Law croaked out the name.

His white-haired partner was sitting next to him and grabbing his shoulders. His worried expression relaxed slightly when he heard Law speak.

Law squinted his eyes when the first rays of orange sunlight dazzled his sight. He found himself lying at the edge of a platform with the river ten feet below him.

"What happened?", Law asked and pushed himself up on his elbows.

He noticed Tashigi standing behind Smoker with her pistol at hand.

The ground around them was covered in trails of blood. Two men lay on the concrete with bullet holes in their heads.

"I was hoping you could tell me. We just arrived to find you and those two goners lying here.", Smoker murmured.

Law narrowed his eyes.

"How did you find me?"

Smoker reached behind him and showed Law what seemed to be the cut off tracker Doflamingo had worn around his ankle.

"You're lucky this thing was still working."

Confusion washed over Law's features until his mind managed to put all the pieces together.

"Where is he?"

"Gone. Wherever, I don't know. He left the tracker and wires next to your body."

Law tried to stand up and winced at the pain that spread from his temple and jaw.

He remembered that someone had dragged him out of the club and into a car.

Then they had been driving for about half an hour until they pulled Law out of the car and pushed him to his knees. He hadn't been able to see anything with the bag over his head but he remembered that something was hitting his head and made him lose consciousness.

At that moment, Law realised that he had somehow managed to get hit in the face three times during the last 24 hours.

"Dammit.", he growled.

Smoker helped Law to his feet.

"Get in the car, we're heading back to headquarters for now. Report everything you remember to the commissioner. Tashigi, you'll wait for the forensics to arrive."

Tashigi nodded and covered Law and Smoker on their way to the police car.

The sun was rising above the city and Law felt like all of this had just been a very strange nightmare.

* * *

"Doflamingo escaped. However, we managed to record enough evidence to start an investigation on Kaido. It isn't enough to put him in custody but we now have even more reason to believe that our suspicions are true. Furthermore, we learned about one of Kaido's officers who goes by the name of 'X' Drake."

Hina was merely stating the facts at his point after the entire team had listened and edited last night's recordings for hours. The whole process had been a parade of awkwardness as Law watched his colleagues react to Doflamingo's flirtations.

Especially since all of them got the pleasure to listen to the recording of his and Doflamingo's kissing sounds.

While Smoker had looked like the recording had personally offended him, Tashigi's face had turned scarlet and Hina seemed to have a hard time lighting her next cigarette after that.

"The way I see it, the only useful thing we got out of this operation was the confirmation that Kaido gave the indirect order to kill Law and that Doflamingo betrayed us."

"We can't say for sure if he was the one who uncovered my identity to Kaido...", Law remarked.

"Don't be ridiculous Law. He was the only one who knew about the operation and stood in contact with Kaido.", Smoker grumbled and gave Law a glare.

"You made the mistake of trusting this bastard in the first place."

Law returned Smoker's glare.

"I gave Law permission to go through with the operation and I don't regret it. We know a lot more about Kaido thanks to his efforts.", Hina said and stepped in front of Smoker's desk.

"He nearly got himself killed! And Doflamingo bailed on us!", the white-haired man growled.

"That is true but he also killed two of Kaido's men and left Law alive.", Hina retorted.

"We don't know what really happened!", Smoker shot back.

The loud voices started to give Law a headache.

The truth was that the forensics had found three different blood samples on the platform.

The third blood sample belonged most likely to Doflamingo which indicated that he had been injured by Kaido's men.

But there was also the possibility of a fourth person, maybe another of Kaido's henchmen, who he ordered to kill Doflamingo for his assumed betrayal.

Or maybe, Doflamingo was just playing around again and the third blood sample was nothing more than a red herring.

Law furrowed his brows.

Why did he leave the tracker with him? He could have easily used it to confuse the hell out of the SCPD by tossing it into a random car's trunk. That's what Law would have done to buy time for his escape.

But Doflamingo deliberately left it with him for Smoker and Tashigi to find.

Was he mocking the SCPD?

It would be like him, Law thought, but he couldn't deny his feeling of doubt at this conclusion.

What if he shot the two men to save Law's life and left the tracker to make sure the SCPD would find and rescue him?

That would mean Doflamingo had never wanted to kill him and was just playing his role to buy time.

Law couldn't tell if Doflamingo had been lying to him or to Kaido but he knew he had to find out.

"You searched Doflamingo's apartment by now, correct?", Law asked.

Hina nodded and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes but we couldn't find any clue on his current whereabouts. We installed surveillance cameras in case he makes the mistake of returning to his safe house but I seriously doubt that he will."

"I'm going to check his apartment again.", Law mumbled and quickly raised from his seat.

"Why?", Smoker asked.

"I have a feeling we overlooked something.", Law replied as he walked through the door.

* * *

In bright daylight, the Skypeia Apartments looked even more intimidating between the rest of the city's skyline.

Law entered Doflamingo's apartment at the nineteenth floor and the memories of last night played out behind his eyes once more.

The Zoan, the SMILE, Kaido and his men. It could have been so easy to raid the club after the operation and put Kaido in jail for the simple reason that SMILE was distributed in his club. But Law was sure that every trace of SMILE would be gone by now.

The living room looked exactly the same, there was no sign that Doflamingo had returned to this place at any time of the night. But Law couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to find something in here.

He opened the door to Doflamingo's bedroom and noticed the mess of clothes that covered the floor and bed. It seemed like the wardrobe was merely there for decoration.

Law stepped over a pile of dress shoes and shirts until he reached the bed. What really caught his attention was a single book that was lying on the cushions. It was a poetry collection by different authors. Law noticed bookmark between the pages.

He opened the book carefully and read the fable written by Janos Pilinszky at the top of the page.

_Once upon a time  
there was a lonely wolf,  
lonelier than the angels._

_He happened to come to a village.  
He fell in love with the first house he saw.  
_

_Already he loved its walls,  
the caresses of its bricklayers.  
But the windows stopped him._

_In the room sat people._

_Apart from God nobody ever  
found them so beautiful  
as this child-like beast.  
_

_So at night he went into the house._

_He stopped in the middle of the room  
and never moved from there any more.  
_

_He stood all through the night, with wide eyes  
and on into the morning when he was beaten to death. _

Law closed the book with a thoughtful expression.

At this point, he was sure that Doflamingo had wanted him to find this.

He had referenced this fable in one of their conversations.

It seemed like just another mind game, another provocation and yet Law felt like there was a deeper meaning between the lines, a bigger picture that he couldn't piece together just yet.

His thoughts went back to last night.

Kaido knew that the SCPD tried to spy on him. He had to know that Law was an agent from the moment he entered the Zoan.

The question remained whether Doflamingo sold him out or didn't know about the trap himself.

What confused Law was the fact that Kaido didn't seem sure of the situation and was very close to end Doflamingo as well.

I didn't make sense.

What game was Doflamingo playing here?

Law put the book inside a pocket in his jacket and decided to drive back to his apartment for the time being.

As he arrived at the parking lot, his phone started to ring.

Law looked at the display and his face fell.

He took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Margaret?"

"Trafalgar! Are you okay? I didn't hear from you since... uhm... since last time."

Law sat down behind the wheel and lowered his head to the dashboard.

"Yes. Yes, you're right. I was working. Sorry."

"Do you wanna meet for dinner?", Margaret asked hopefully.

Law stared through the windshield.

"Sure. I was just about to drive home but I can come over to your place if you want.", he heard himself say.

"That would be great! I made some hot pot and there's no way I'm gonna finish this by myself.", she chuckled.

"Sounds great... I'll be there in a minute.", Law mumbled and ended the call.

* * *

_14 hours earlier_

Once they reached the underground garage, the two guards pushed Law inside a landrover with tinted windows. One of them climbed on the back-seat beside Law and wrapped cable ties around his wrists.

Doflamingo took the passenger seat and watched Law in the rearview mirror. They drove all the way through downtown and headed for one of the lower districts along the river. The plan became obvious when the landrover parked behind an old factory building.

Law would be executed and thrown into the river afterwards.

Doflamingo watched how the agent was pushed to his knees by one of the guards.

The man turned around and gestured for Doflamingo to finish the job.

A wide smile spread on the blond man's lips as he stepped closer to Law and pointed the pistol to the back of his head.

But instead of shooting him, Doflamingo suddenly knocked the gun against Law's temple which caused the agent to black out and fall to the side.

"What are you-"

"You can stop acting now... as if you would let me live.", Doflamingo interrupted the man's question.

Doflamingo turned around and shot two symmetric bullets into the guard's forehead.

He quickly dropped to his knees and aimed for the second guard standing a few feet behind him.

Two more gun shots ripped through the night and the remaining guard fell on his back.

The pistol returned to his waistband and Doflamingo hurried to unbutton his shirt. He ripped the wiretap off his body and pulled a razor knife from his sleeve to cut through the tracker around his ankle.

He managed to free Law of the cable ties right before a bullet grazed his shoulder.

Doflamingo groaned in pain and fell to his knees.

He turned around and scanned the area but there was no gunman in sight.

Doflamingo suspected that a sniper was hiding somewhere inside the factory.

His eyes narrowed at a window on the second story.

"There you are.", he growled and started to run.

The sniper saw how Doflamingo entered the building and quickly hurried away from the window.

He pointed his rifle to the door behind him and waited.

Footsteps were coming up the metallic staircase and stopped right outside the room.

As soon as the door opened, the sniper fired.

A loud _bang_ echoed through the factory and something heavy tumbled to the ground.

After a few more seconds, the sniper slowly walked towards the door frame and studied the blood trails on the floor.

He carefully stepped outside the room and looked down the stairs.

His upper body leaned over the banister and the man frowned at the missing sight of Doflamingo's corpse.

"Looking for this?"

The sniper spun around at the sound of deep voice behind him.

He was greeted with a shark smile.

It had been almost too easy to fool the man by letting himself fall to the ground and then hide behind the open door as Doflamingo waited for him to leave the room.

Doflamingo used the back of his hand to push the tip of the rifle away from his chest and quickly grabbed the handle.

He kicked the man's groin and pulled the gun from his hands.

The sniper drew a knife from his boot and aimed for Doflamingo's throat with a swing from the side.

Doflamingo blocked the attack with the rifle and hit the man's jaw with his elbow.

The sniper's grip around the knife loosened as soon as Doflamingo's knee hit his stomach.

"Aren't you feisty?", Doflamingo chuckled against the man's ear.

The sniper growled in response and suddenly sank his teeth into the crook of Doflamingo's neck.

He nearly managed to bite through the muscle before Doflamingo punched his stomach again and made him gasp at the pain.

Doflamingo grabbed the sniper's forehead and knocked his skull against the rusty banister.

The man's unconscious body slipped to the ground and Doflamingo leaned back against the wall as covered the biting wound with his hand.

"You truly are beasts, aren't you? Though you don't look like Kaido's type...", he panted and grabbed the man's collar.

Doflamingo carried the sniper with him back to the landrover and hurried to drive away before the SCPD would arrive.

He decided to play a little asking game once they made it to another of his safe houses.

* * *

_Present time_

The smell of food was overwhelming when he entered Margaret's flat.

The blond woman smiled at Law and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Her big brown eyes were free of any sign of anger or despite and it made Law ache with guilt.

"Take a seat! I knew you don't like meat too much that's why I prepared lots of fish instead."

Her words and smile were genuine but felt to Law like a punch in the gut.

He sat down at the dining table with the boiling metal pot and too many plates of fresh food in front of him.

"Thank you.", he whispered.

Margaret gave him another smile and went back to the kitchen to get the drinks.

The TV was running in the background and Law was glad for the distraction while he waited for the woman to return.

"Is wine alright?", Margaret asked suddenly and Law flinched at the sound of her voice.

"Uh, yes."

She returned with two glasses of white wine and sat down next to Law.

They were eating in silence for a while.

"So uhm... Trafalgar... I wanted to ask... did something happen at work?", Margaret asked shyly.

Law cleared his throat for a moment.

"You seemed really... stressed out the other day... so I was wondering if you were feeling alright?"

His eyes moved up to meet her worried expression.

"The case we're working on is really... complex...", he tried to explain,

"I don't get a lot of sleep lately... no need to worry..."

Margaret looked far from convinced but didn't delve any further into the topic.

She suddenly leaned over to Law and placed a gentle hand on the side of his face.

Her soft lips brushed against his as she closed her eyes.

Law watched her with sad eyes but decided to return the kiss even though he didn't feel like he deserved any of her kindness.

His tattooed fingers ran through her hair and he pushed back against her lips.

He noticed her nice scent but something about it seemed different.

It wasn't her usual perfume that he had come to know.

The scent reminded him of fir trees.

And of strong arms wrapping around his body.

_You taste just like I imagined._

Law gasped at sudden flashback and broke the kiss.

He covered his lips with his fingers.

"Trafalgar?"

Margaret looked at him in surprise but her eyes left his face when a broadcast on the television caught her attention.

For a moment, she seemed to shocked to speak.

"Oh my god."

Law frowned at her horrified expression and turned to the TV to see what her sudden reaction was about.

The live broadcast showed footage of flames and dark smoke that burned out of the windows of a terribly familiar apartment.

"Trafalgar... isn't that your...?", Margaret uttered.

Law jumped off his seat and stared at the television.

"I have to go.", he exclaimed and made his way through the door and back to his car.

* * *

"LAW! LAW ANSWER! LAW!"

"I hear you, I'm okay.", Law spoke into the police radio inside his car.

"Dammit Law! Where were you?", Smoker's voice asked.

"At Margaret's place. I just saw the broadcast on the news. I was supposed to be home half an hour ago..."

"You would be dead by now... what the hell happened?!"

"I have no idea, I'm heading there right now."

"No Law wait! What if someone was trying to finish the job from last night? This might be a trick to lure you out. Come back here."

Smoker's words made sense to Law and he sighed deeply.

"You're right. Why didn't I see this coming?"

"None of us did. Just return to headquarters and we will sort this mess out.", Smoker grumbled.

"Alright. But I'm almost there, I will have to-"

From one second to the next, everything turned upside down.

Law's car hit the pavement and rolled over after one of the tires burst into pieces.

The windshield cracked as the car slid across the ground on its back.

Sparks and crashing noises filled the air until the vehicle finally came to a halt once it crashed into a lamp post.

After a couple of minutes, Law came back to his senses and he groaned at dizziness in his aching head.

He struggled to remove his seatbelt and slumped down after it finally opened.

The door to his side was jammed but Law managed to open it with a strong kick.

He crawled out of the car wreck and rolled on his back.

A dark figure appeared in the corner of his eye and stepped in front of him.

Law looked up and recognized the person as a member of the SCPD special operations squad who wore the typical black armor and plastic face guard on his head.

He sighed in relief.

"I'm... Agent Trafalgar... Law...", he uttered.

The man raised his gun to Law's head.

"I know."

Law frowned at the man until he his mind caught up with the situation.

He felt like he was losing his mind.

"Talk about timing."

Both of them turned their heads into the direction of the new voice.

For the first time, Law was actually glad to see the familiar face of Doflamingo.

The blond man appeared next to the SCPD squad member and disarmed the man with a kick to his wrist. The gun flew off to the side while Doflamingo's other leg hit the enemy's chest and pushed him to the ground.

Doflamingo stepped on the man's wrist and let himself drop on the man's stomach.

The man screamed in pain until Doflamingo's fingers encircled his throat and cut off his airway.

Purple sunglasses reflected a face contorted with pain.

Doflamingo tightened his grip around the man's neck until it snapped with the pressure.

The cracking sound made Law wince.

Doflamingo raised to his feet. Law noticed that his shoulder was bleeding.

The same shoulder that Smoker had shot during their first encounter and that was still wrapped in bandages. He also noticed a patch on the Doflamingo's neck.

But there was no sign of pain on the blond man's face.

If anything he looked... relieved.

He extended his healthy arm and pulled Law up from the ground.

Back on his feet, Law took a moment to fight the dizziness that was still clouding his mind.

Up close however, he noticed that the color of Doflamingo's face was unusually pale.

"We have to get out of here.", the blond murmured with a raspy voice.

Law gulped and looked back at the wreck that was his car.

"Yeah.", he whispered and placed his hand against his head.

They started to walk along the pavement but Doflamingo suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Law turned around.

"What's... HEY!"

He hardly managed to catch the tall man before he tumbled over.

The purple sunglasses fell to the ground.

Blood was streaming down Doflamingo's arm and neck and Law noticed his heavy breathing and low body temperature.

"This isn't good... you're losing too much blood."

He tried to support the man's weight but his own body was at the verge of exhaustion.

"Just... just try to stay awake. I'll get help."

"Law... you... you have to..."

Doflamingo's eyes fell shut.

* * *

**AN:**

**Yesterday was Doflamingo's birthday :D**

**But I wasn't too nice to him in this chapter... **

**I'm sorry Doffy.**

**Next chapter will be nicer ;)**


	8. Breach

Doflamingo noticed that he was dreaming because he knew he had experienced this moment many times before in previous dreams.

_He was sitting on the windowsill to a small bedroom. _

_"Why are you here?", he heard a cold and dismissive and yet all too familiar voice ask._

_"Do I need a reason? After all, we haven't seen each other in three years.", he replied._

_The hostile atmosphere seemed to lower the temperature in the room by several degrees._

_His smile remained unrequited by the other man sitting on the bed._

_"The last time I saw you, you promised to kill me."_

_Doflamingo recognized the hatred in the other's eyes and couldn't help but laugh._

_"Fufufufu... you were the one who betrayed me..."_

_"Betrayed you? You are killing people for a living. You are insane and I will stop you."_

_Doflamingo stepped in front of the bed._

_The knife felt heavy in his hand._

_"At least I made them pay. You kept silent no matter what they did. You let them have their way as if you enjoyed it."_

_The other man left the bed to face Doflamingo who continued to provoke him._

_"I cleansed this world of all that scum while you kept hiding and pretended to live a normal life. You suffered the same as me back then and still you act as if nothing had happened... and you're calling me insane?"_

_He grabbed his opponent by the throat and pushed him against the wall._

_"You haven't changed at all. Pathetic... and you basically just told me to kill you while I can."_

_Doflamingo raised the knife to the other's face._

_The two men glared at each other in mutual despite but neither of them made a move._

_"What are you waiting for then?", the other man asked._

_A vicious smile tugged at Doflamingo's lips._

_Suddenly, the door to the bedroom creaked open and a pillar of light breached through the gap._

_Doflamingo squinted his eyes at the sudden brightness._

_A small figure appeared in the door frame._

* * *

"Are you awake?", he heard Law's voice in his head.

Doflamingo blinked a couple of times until he was sure that he wasn't dreaming anymore.

The bright light was slowly fading away as his vision adjusted to reality.

He looked around the room in confusion as he had no memory of how he ended up in this place and on top of someone else's bed.

His sunglasses rested on a nightstand to his left, next to a large window.

Rain was falling against the pane and the world outside was covered in a grey mist. It was one of those cloudy days that Doflamingo hated because they made him think of the most annoying things.

And they made the nightmares return.

He tried to pull himself into a sitting position but the pain in his shoulder made him freeze in his tracks. Doflamingo dropped back on the cushions and his attention returned to the second person in the room.

His pained expression turned into surprise once his eyes caught sight of Law who was watching him from the door opposite the bed. He was wearing a baggy T-shirt and pyjama pants.

"Law?", Doflamingo breathed.

The black-haired man held a first-aid kid in his hands.

"You're awake. Good. I have to stitch up your wounds."

Law placed the first-aid kid on the bed and sat down next to Doflamingo.

"Law... hold on a second... where the hell are we? Don't tell me this is a motel.", Doflamingo hissed with a concerned expression.

A pair of tattooed fingers snapped against his forehead.

"Ow!"

Doflamingo rubbed the sore spot on his skin and glared at Law who somehow managed to look both annoyed and bored at the same time.

"Of course not, idiot. The police would have checked those first. Just shut up for a minute and let me explain.", Law mumbled and pulled protective gloves over his hands.

"I called a friend after you passed out and he drove us to this apartment. No need to worry, the SCPD doesn't know about him."

"Wouldn't they know where I am anyway, _agent_?", Doflamingo asked.

Law's eyes met his and they exchanged a long look.

"Like I said, nobody at the SCPD knows about Bepo."

Doflamingo raised a brow.

"Bepo?"

Law's hand moved to turn on a lamp on the nightstand.

"My friend who owns this apartment. He isn't here at the moment but I trust him. He won't tell anyone that we're here."

The lamp shone on them with a warm light and Law gestured for Doflamingo to sit up.

"Are you covering for me, Agent Law?"

"I figured I owed you one by now."

Doflamingo gave Law a curious look but couldn't find the right words to respond.

Their eyes met with a familiar spark of tension that Law came to recognize.

"Hold still.", he ordered quietly.

The blond man was watching him carefully as Law unbuttoned Doflamingo's blood-stained shirt and slowly pulled it off his shoulders.

The bite wound on Doflamingo's neck was still gouting with the crimson fluid and Law frowned at the torn flesh.

"Let's hope those injuries aren't infected yet. Why didn't you take care of this earlier?"

Doflamingo seemed more interested in Law's hands as they guided his arms out of the sleeves of his shirt.

"I was busy.", he whispered.

Law removed a bottle of antiseptic from the first-aid kid and sprayed the disinfectant on Doflamingo's wounds. The blond man winced at the burning sensation.

"What the hell happened anyway? This looks like the bite of a human jaw...", Law muttered as he studied the wound in the light of the lamp.

"My kinks can get pretty extreme...", Doflamingo smirked.

He tried not to laugh when Law gave him that half-annoyed, half-bored look again.

Maybe the younger man was already used to his personality.

Doflamingo decided to remain silent for a while and Law started to clean his wounds with a pincette.

Although the silence didn't last too long.

"You're pretty good at this. I usually have to patch myself up on my own. It's nice having such a handsome young doctor taking care of me for once.", Doflamingo chuckled.

Law sighed and gently dabbed the fresh blood from the wound.

"Seems like the blood loss makes you all light-headed..."

With a needle and thread, the younger man started to stitch up the bite wound on his neck and Doflamingo winced slightly at the pain whenever the needle pierced through his skin.

He gritted his teeth and Law smirked.

"Just try to relax and it will all be over soon.", he smiled.

"Fufufuf-ow, that hurt... don't make me laugh...", Doflamingo whimpered while he tried to stay still.

"As if that was possible...", Law retorted.

He tugged the stitches along the bite wound together before he tied the final knot.

Doflamingo groaned at the painful sensation.

His eyes searched Law's smiling face.

"I think you're enjoying this a little too much..."

Law's grin only widened and Doflamingo eyed him suspiciously.

"You look like a serial killer.", he muttered.

"Takes one to know one.", Law deadpanned.

He placed a patch over the suture and moved to the graze wound on Doflamingo's shoulder.

"Would you even tell me what truly happened if I asked?"

The blond man furrowed his brows in irritation.

"Do you think I would be lying to you?"

Law's gaze switched from the graze wound to the other's eyes.

"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?"

The cynical sound of his voice served to make Doflamingo angry.

He took a deep breath before his response came as a flood of words.

"I killed Kaido's men but someone else decided to join the party. That's when I got injured but I managed to capture the asshole who wanted to kill us both. It took ten nails and one dislocated shoulder before he told me who sent him.

He also told me that he wasn't the only one and that they had a plan B in case you survived. That they were going to lure you out of SCPD headquarters and attack you on your way back home. I cut his throat after that and decided to play hunter myself. I waited on the roof of the car park near your apartment and scouted the area until I saw how someone shot the tires of your car and caused you to crash. You're lucky I was there in time to save for shitty brain from a bullet."

Law looked thunderstruck for a moment.

"Is that report good enough Sir Agent, Sir?"

Law was still trying to process the pile of new information.

Doflamingo's description of yesterday's events made it sound like Kaido wasn't the only one who was after his head and he remembered the SCPD soldier who was about to kill him after the car crash. Law believed that the man must have secretly been working for Kaido and that he wore the SCPD uniform as a cover.

But he couldn't deny that another suspicion came to his mind whenever he thought of the incident.

"Who sent him?", Law asked quickly.

The blond man's lips suddenly formed an eerie smile as he lowered his head.

"The man I tortured spoke of a contact with roots in the government. Someone of the higher-ups ordered him and his partner to kill us right after we left the Zoan. It only took them this short period of time to get on to our tracks. Not even I can work this quickly. They must have tailed us for a while."

Law's mind started to race with questions.

_If what he says is true then why did they wait this long? There were plenty of opportunities for them to kill me. What if they wanted to kill us both at the same time? Are they working with Kaido? But why me? What if he's lying to me and trying to turn me against the SCPD? There is no way Hina would... Smoker would never..._

_But both of them knew I changed my real name after..._

_Thirteen years ago... the noble party..._

_Kaido, the SCPD, Doflamingo... I can trust none of them._

Doflamingo sensed the rising tension in the other man's body.

He leaned forward and rested a hand on Law's shoulder.

"Look at me."

Law ignored the command as he seemed too caught up in his speculations.

Doflamingo's fingers encircled the younger man's jaw and gently turned his head around.

"_Look at me._"

His playful voice turned serious as he demanded Law's attention.

It always fascinated Law how the man could switch from a high giggle to a deep murmur within a couple of seconds.

"You don't have to believe everything I say but what I'm going to tell you now is the absolute truth."

Law's lips opened slightly but he didn't dare to interrupt the other man.

"Your life is mine and I will end anyone who threatens it."

The fingers around his jaw loosened but the captivating intensity of Doflamingo's gaze made it hard for Law to breathe.

The sudden tension that built in his chest felt like its own universe of hidden meaning.

Whatever he did, Law couldn't shake the feeling of intimacy whenever he looked at Doflamingo, along with the sense of danger that crawled up his back.

It was a dark attraction that made him question everything about his life.

But the worst thing was that he felt his resistence crumbling with every suggestion that escaped the other man's mouth.

"Stop messing with me.", he heard himself utter.

Doflamingo didn't allow Law's eyes to escape as he moved even closer.

"I'm not messing with you.", he whispered against his lips, "Not yet."

Law gulped nervously.

"If you kiss me again, I'll punch your shoulder.", he mumbled.

Doflamingo laughed quietly and Law felt his breath on his skin.

"Fufufu... I wasn't going to. At least not until you're finished stitching me up."

The tall man suddenly leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Go ahead, doctor."

* * *

Law finished stitching up the graze wound and closed the first-aid kid.

He pushed the box beneath the bed and walked into the kitchen.

Doflamingo's eyes opened slightly when Law returned with a glass of fizzy water.

"Drink this. I put something against the pain in there."

Doflamingo emptied the glass in one go and placed it on the nightstand.

Drops of water were running down his chin which he wiped away with the back of his hand.

"Doesn't your friend have some alcohol in here?"

"Alcohol wouldn't be the best choice in your condition."

Doflamingo rolled his eyes and gave Law a curious smile.

"Why didn't you become a doctor?"

"Why can't you just shut up?"

The blond man chuckled and watched how Law moved around the bed and climbed on the mattress next to him.

Law covered his eyes with his arm to escape the pleasantly surprised look on Doflamingo's face.

"You're right, someone out there is after my head and the SCPD won't be able to protect me. So as long as I don't know who is after us and why, I will stay here with you... and yes, I'm going to sleep here as well but I still have my gun, so don't do anything stupid."

Doflamingo bit his bottom lip and grinned widely.

He gazed outside the window where the world was turning darker by the minute and the rain was still pouring down all over the city.

He turned off the bedside lamp and listened to the falling rain and Law's calm breathing.

His eyes were closing slowly.

* * *

The next morning, Law awoke with a start when he heard a loud rumble from the kitchen.

"Dammit.", he heard someone curse under their breath.

Law immediately recognized the voice and smiled to himself.

He looked over to Doflamingo who stared at the door in alarm.

"It's okay, that's just Bepo.", Law whispered and the blond man next to him relaxed slightly.

Law climbed out of the bed and opened the door to the kitchen.

"Bepo?", he asked softly.

Another rumble filled the air when the big man in the kitchen pushed a pan from the counter, startled by Law's voice.

He quickly turned around and raised his shoulders apologetically.

"Law, I'm so sorry! Did I wake you?", he whispered.

Law smiled at the caught in the act expression on his friend's face and closed the door behind him.

"Were you trying to make breakfast?"

Bepo nodded and pointed at the ingredients piled up on the kitchen counter.

He was wearing a black jump suit and the orange chucks that Law had bought him. His light blond hair and beard were a bushy mess as usual but Law noticed that Bepo was wearing a hairband.

Most likely to keep his hair from falling into the food he was going to cook.

Law looked over the counter and his smile widened.

"Thanks, you didn't have to buy all that stuff."

"Oh shut it. You guys are gonna stay here for a while aren't you?", Bepo smiled back at him.

"I don't know, the last days have been a total chaos. I think it would be better if we stayed on the move. That means we'll have to start looking for a new hideout soon."

Bepo started to pour some oil into the frying pan.

He looked at Law with his gentle brown eyes.

"I'm sorry about your apartment... and the car... and everything that happened to you.", he sighed.

Law shrugged and snatched a strawberry from the fruit basket on the kitchen table.

"But I'm so glad you're still alive.", Bepo smiled and broke the eggs into the pan.

"By the way... how is he doing?", he whispered suddenly.

"He's gonna be fine. But Bepo..."

Law leaned in closer the his friend's ear.

"... he is dangerous. Keep your guard up around him."

"You mean he can't be trusted?"

"I mean he's a professional contract killer with psychopathic tendencies.", Law replied bluntly.

"Got it. But he saved your life, didn't he?", Bepo remarked.

Law averted his eyes.

"Yeah."

They enjoyed their breakfast in silence before Bepo was leaving for work.

"Have fun at the Dojo. Make the kids cry for their mommies.", Law said his goodbye and grinned at his friend.

"I would never do that! I'm their teacher you know!", Bepo called back on his way down the stairs.

Law smiled to himself and closed the door.

He opened the laptop Bepo had left him on the table and started to transfer the files from the SCPD data base. His excess code was still working which meant that Smoker and the others were still looking for him and didn't think of him as a criminal.

He copied the files of every murder case that stood in connection with Kaido and the government as well as the data on the killing of his parents thirteen years ago.

At this point, he was sure that there had to be a link between the underground network and the political murder of his parents.

"Aren't you a hard-working fellow?", Doflamingo's voice sounded next to his ear.

Law nearly jumped from his seat.

"Fuck! How long have you been in here?!"

There had been no noise whatsoever when Doflamingo entered the room.

The blond man opened the fridge.

He took a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with milk and cereal before he took a seat next to Law.

"Found something interesting yet?"

Law blinked at the curious scene of Doflamingo eating cereal for breakfast dressed in nothing but his shorts.

"What happened to the rest of your clothes?", Law asked carefully.

"I put them in the washer in your friend's bathroom. If you could even call that a bathroom... it's basically a shower with a door...", Doflamingo grumbled over his cereal.

"We should move to one of my apartments. One of them has jacuzzi."

The blond man winked at Law who quickly focused his attention back on the laptop.

"Do know what you're looking for?", Doflamingo asked.

"I'm collecting data."

"How boring."

Law gave him a glare.

"This wouldn't take so long if you would tell me all you know for once."

Doflamingo smiled.

"Do you think I keep secrets from you?"

"I'm sure of it.", Law replied instantly.

The blond man's characteristic laugh filled the air as he placed his fingers against his forehead.

"Fufufu, how interesting! Young Agent Trafalgar Law, hunted by both underground gangsters and the SCPD, was saved by a man he doesn't think he can trust. What a delicious irony."

"Would you trust someone who kidnapped and nearly killed you more than once?"

Doflamingo's chest was shaking with laughter.

"Fufufufufu! I never wanted to kill you! I knew from the very start that we would complete each other perfectly."

"Don't laugh too much or your wounds might open again...", Law grumbled in response.

"Even if what you told me is true, there is no proof that my SCPD division was directly involved in the attack."

"Do you really think they would let you escape if the government declared you a public enemy?", Doflamingo chuckled.

Law's protest died on his lips.

"Like I said, they are nothing more than obedient dogs."

Doflamingo raised to his feet.

"Wake me up when you find something interesting."

"Aren't you going to help?"

Doflamingo stopped at the door frame.

"I'm not here to do research. That's your job. We could do this my way but that would involve a lot kidnapping, torturing and death. All things that you claim to dislike. Which means I'm going to rest some more for now."

Law sighed and started to read through the files once more.

* * *

One week passed in which Law was unable to find any new leads.

He fell asleep in front of the laptop more than once.

Bepo stayed with his family for the time being because Law didn't want him anywhere near Doflamingo.

The police was searching the entire city for them and Law's photograph appeared on the news ever so often.

His nightmares were getting more intense and one night Law was actually aware of the fact that he was dreaming.

In his dream he wandered to a hospital bed.

_To a room he had been visiting every day until two years ago. _

_To the skinny, broken body that rested there._

_He remembered the woman's pale skin with the red scars and fresh cuts along her arms and wrists that blemished her colorful tattoos._

_Her eyes opened and she looked at him for the first time in days._

_Law remembered himself saying the words he would regret for the rest of his life._

_"I knew you could hear me all these years. I knew you weren't just gone. Every time I begged you to talk to me, to look at me, to do anything but dwell in your depression... I thought you didn't see me but you did. This is all an act, isn't it? The drugs, the self-harm, the depression..."_

_He remembered the rage and the frustration building in his chest and the spite dripping from his words._

_"...you think it's all about you. That the world has to stop and care for your every mood swing but guess what, while you're so busy pitying yourself I am the one who has to deal with this mess on his own! While you're busy playing the poor little girl in a madhouse, I'm the one who runs three jobs to pay the hospital bills! You think you're the only one who can't forget their death?! I MISS THEM TOO BUT THEY WOULD BE JUST AS DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU AS I AM!"_

_Silent tears ran down his sister's face._

_And it only served to make him angrier._

_"Every time they called me and said you tried to kill yourself again... but you're still here. You're not really trying to end your life, you just HAVE TO get all the attention in world... but my attention wasn't enough, was it? Everything I tried... to make you feel better... but you don't want to get better. You're not facing me or any of your problems. Do you think this is some kind of joke? Do you want to see how many times you can almost die before I finally lose it?"_

_His sister was weeping at this point but Law didn't stop._

_"I've had enough, Lamie... if you really want to die... go ahead... there's nothing I can do to stop you anyway..."_

* * *

Law's eyes snapped open.

He gasped for air and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

The room around him was filled with darkness.

"I'm so sorry...", he panted and covered his face with his hands.

The memory of the last time he had seen his sister alive was burned into his mind.

His younger sister Lamie had suffered from a deep depression for years before her death two years ago. She killed herself with a golden shot of heroin one week after their last meeting at the hospital.

She had attempted suicide on a monthly basis but this time there was no way to save her.

When the hospital called Law, he refused to believe that she was truly dead this time and he couldn't believe it until he saw his sister's corpse at the morgue.

That moment would hunt his dreams until the day he died.

Two years later, he joined the SCPD.

Law was still breathing heavily with cold sweat running down his back when he felt gently fingers close around his own.

They slowly pulled Law's hands away and made him look at the other man's face.

"I-I'm fine. I just..."

"I don't care.", Doflamingo whispered.

He closed the distance between them and kissed Law deeply.

His tongue licked over the roof of his mouth and a tingling sensation spread across Law's body.

The younger man tried to escape but the other's arms wrapped tightly around his back.

Doflamingo pushed Law on his back and positioned himself between his legs.

Law felt the man's erection against his groin and he started to panic.

He broke the kiss and stared into the other's eyes.

"I don't want this.", he panted.

Doflamingo's gaze was hunger.

He rolled his hips against Law's body.

"You're as hard as a rock.", he chuckled.

The rubbing sensation between his legs made Law feel light-headed.

"That's... not..."

Their lips met once more in time with a thrust of Doflamingo's hips.

Law couldn't stop himself from opening his mouth to allow the other's tongue inside once again.

A deep blush spread on his face.

Doflamingo broke the kiss and his lips moved to Law's ear.

"I know you want this even if you think you can't. But I can help you escape... just walk on the light my friend..."

The words felt like ice cubes running down Law's chest and something snapped inside his brain.

At this point, with the city against him and his life on the line, Law found himself unable to care anymore.

All the guilt, all the hate he felt for himself, he was so sick of it. He was sick of playing a perfectly functioning human being, happy to live by someone else's rules and accepting any punishment because he felt like he deserved it.

Playing his role had gotten him into this mess and he realized that serving justice wouldn't bring back the people he lost. It wouldn't save them from death and it wouldn't make him feel less guilty.

Hell, it wouldn't even save his own life.

And it wouldn't keep the nightmares away.

So what difference would it make if he decided to let himself go.

If he decided to not care anymore about the image other people had of him.

It had all been a lie since the beginning anyway. He was the son of dissidents and yet chose to live the life of an obedient citizen who served the same system his parents despised.

A sick irony indeed.

For some reason, Law's lips turned into a smirk.

And suddenly, he laughed out loud for the first time in years.

Doflamingo seemed confused but started to chuckle himself when he felt Law's body shake with laughter against his own.

He pushed himself up to look down at the younger man beneath him.

"This is new.", he murmured.

Law's laughing was slowly becoming quieter and he returned Doflamingo's gaze with wide open eyes.

He placed his hand against the man's chest and pushed him on his back.

Doflamingo raised his brow when Law sat down on top of him.

"This is definitely new.", he whispered.

Grey eyes entrapped him as Law rested his hand on the Doflamingo's belly.

"Shut up.", Law ordered and slowly pulled off his shirt.

* * *

**AN:**

**That one took a while, I was visiting a friend over the weekend.**

**Oh and look, it's Bepo!**

**Picturing him as a human is pretty funny ^^**

**And more backstory,**

**I hope you like it :3**

**Next chapter is gonna have some more 'action'.**


	9. Unpause

Smoker had spent the better part of the week behind his desk as he studied every piece of evidence on Law's disappearance. His apartment had been blown up with the use of a detonator and most of the interior had been completely destroyed which made it nearly impossible to collect any useful information.

But what really bothered Smoker was the fact that the dead soldier at the crash site who wore one of SCPD squad's uniforms turned out to be an official SCPD agent. The projectiles they found near Law's car wreck belonged to a sniper rifle of the same type that the SCPD task force used for their operations. Furthermore, the SCPD didn't report the weapon as missing from their arsenal and they weren't able to locate the rifle anywhere near the crime scene.

Which caused Smoker to believe that there had been more than one traitor among the SCPD task force and that the second culprit was still out there.

Even though Law disappeared without a trace, he could still be alive for all they knew. At least Smoker refused to accept that his partner died in such a meaningless way.

He took a long drag from his cigar and closed his eyes with deep sigh.

"Agent Smoker Sir?", he recognized Tashigi's voice.

"Any news on Law?", he asked without looking at her.

"No Sir but... the commissioner wants to speak with you. We got a new order to drop the investigation on Agent Law's disappearance..."

"WHAT?!"

Smoker was on his feet within a second and stared at his subordinate.

Tashigi looked at the floor with frustration in her eyes as he rushed past her and towards Hina's office. He burst through the door and found his commissioner staring at the map on her wall.

"This has to be a joke! We can't drop the investigation!", Smoker yelled as he entered the room.

Hina turned around and slowly shook her head.

"It's a direct order from Chief Sakazuki. There's nothing we can do."

Smoker stared at the commissioner as his hands clenched into fists.

"But why? The attack on Law and his and Doflamingo's disappearance HAS to be connected to the case!"

"I know that and the Chief does too which is why he transfers the case to a special operations division."

"WE _ARE_ THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION!"

Smoker couldn't contain his anger any longer. He felt like someone was playing them along.

They had been working on this case for months and suddenly a whole new team of agents would be taking over the investigation?

It made no sense to him and he could tell from Hina's expression that she felt the same way but her duty as a commissioner surpassed her personal objection. Smoker punched the wall beside him and grunted in frustration.

"Soldiers of the SCPD were involved with the disappearance of one of their own agents and one week later they decide to turn the entire investigation upside down... what is happening here?"

Hina blew a cloud of smoke into the air and leaned back against her desk.

"Seems to me like Law woke the beast.", she mused.

"Agent Stainless will be leading the investigation from now on. He also wants to question us about Law."

Smoker narrowed his eyes.

* * *

He entered the interrogation room one hour later.

Agent Stainless sat down opposite him and Smoker gave him a wary look.

"Agent Smoker, you have been Agent Law's partner for two years, correct?", the man asked.

"Yes."

Smoker released white fume from his lips. He thought back to the days when Law and him used to drive across the city on the trail of murderers and gangsters after Law had stared at his computer for hours through the night just to find that one tiny piece of evidence that the rest of them overlooked.

"Have you noticed any changes in his behavior previous to his disappearance?"

Smoker averted his eyes. Yes, there had been changes in Law's behavior recently.

The rational and calculating mind of his partner had always impressed him. Law avoided to show any emotions when they were working on a case. He was always considering every detail and possessed incredible talent in analyzing a criminal's way of thinking.

Smoker had never seen him lose his cool when interrogating a suspect and in most cases it took him less than one meeting to uncover someone's true intentions.

But with Doflamingo, Law seemed to disregard all of his cautious thinking within a couple of days.

"He seemed... more agitated than usual...", Smoker mumbled as he remembered how distraught Law had looked after one of his meetings with Doflamingo.

"Do you know about Agent Law's past?", Agent Stainless asked calmly.

Smoker narrowed his eyes.

"Are you referring to the murder of his parents?"

The other man rested his arms on the table and entwined his fingers.

"I'm referring to the murder of his guardian."

* * *

The light from the streets reached through the window of the bedroom.

Law's T-shirt fell to the floor and Doflamingo's gaze roamed over his tattooed chest.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, have you?", the blond man whispered.

In his cloudy state of mind, Law actually felt confident with the situation.

"I'm getting myself into you, how about that?", he smirked.

"You think you can top me?", Doflamingo chuckled and grabbed Law's hips.

He gave one powerful thrust to Law's body and the younger man struggled to keep his balance on top of him. He could feel the size of Doflamingo's erection through the fabric of his shorts and a sudden wave of panic rushed down his spine.

Doflamingo laughed to himself when he noticed Law's frightened expression.

"Oh god how lovely. My little cherry... it'll be my pleasure to pop you.", he purred.

"Who said I would let you?", Law murmured.

A hungry smile spread on Doflamingo's lips.

"You did. The second you climbed on top of me."

Law blushed and Doflamingo tipped his knee against the younger man's back to make him fall on his chest.

"Why don't you let me take the wheel for now? You've never slept with a man, have you?"

"No.", Law muttered against Doflamingo's throat.

"But it doesn't matter. I'm not going to let you-"

Two strong hands turned Law on his back and Doflamingo was on top of him within a second.

He pushed Law's legs apart and the younger man gasped in surprise.

Doflamingo stripped Law of his pants and threw them on the floor.

He rubbed his palm over the building erection beneath Law's shorts and Law bit his lip as Doflamingo continued the pleasurable friction.

His pulse and breathing fastened and he looked up at the ceiling while he felt his mind drifting away.

Law sighed when the other man's hand suddenly stopped moving against him. Doflamingo slowly pulled the shorts down Law's legs until he was completely naked beneath him.

Law trembled slightly when he felt the cool air of the room on his lower body.

Doflamingo positioned himself between Law's legs so that his face hovered above Law's groin area but then stopped moving entirely.

A couple of moments passed until the silence started to make Law feel self-conscious.

"What?", he asked breathlessly and dared to look down at Doflamingo.

The blond man was gazing at Law's cock.

"W-What are you...?"

"Give me a second. I've pictured this for a while... let me enjoy the view."

The blush on Law's face reached a new level of unknown intensity.

Doflamingo chuckled and his breath grazed the glans of Law's penis. The younger man arched his back at the sensual torture.

"You're done yet?", he groaned.

The blond man laughed some more without acknowledging the other's impatience.

"You know... this is pretty creep-"

The sentence died on Law's lips.

His grey eyes widened when he felt the other's mouth on his skin.

Doflamingo planted a line of kisses along the side of his cock.

"Fucking hell...", Law breathed.

He felt Doflamingo smile against his length.

The blond man raised his head and waited until Law met his eyes again.

All that was left of Law's rational thinking vanished the instant he saw how Doflamingo's tongue licked the slit of his glans.

Law held his breath as a wave of pleasure rushed over his body.

Doflamingo's tongue moved torturously slow.

He watched closely how Doflamingo's lips encircled his tip and pushed down his penis.

Law hardly resisted the urge to run his fingers through Doflamingo's hair while the man took him deeper into his mouth with frightening ease.

The inside of Doflamingo's mouth felt silky and warm around him and Law threw his head back on the cushions as he suppressed a deep moan. The other man's lips moved up and down his shaft and Law's breathing became faster.

Doflamingo's tongue pressed up against his penis to increase the friction of his bobbing movement.

His eyes watched Law's face as the younger man was falling apart beneath him.

Law's abdominal muscles tensed each time the other's mouth moved down his penis.

It was obvious that he was nearing his orgasm which was precisely why Doflamingo decided to release his cock.

Law gasped when the wet warmth around him disappeared and looked at the blond man who licked his lips and wiped his mouth clean of saliva and pre-cum.

Doflamingo gave him a knowing look as he raised from the mattress.

He stood in front of the bed and smiled at the sight of Law's naked body lying on the blankets. The blond man gazed at the quick rise and fall of the other's chest, the shimmer of sweat on his tanned skin and the mild blush on his cheeks as he noticed how Doflamingo admired his body.

Doflamingo pulled his own shorts down his thighs and let them fall to the floor.

Law's eyes dropped to his exposed privates.

All he could focus on were the prominent veins along the other man's length and he found himself wanting to feel them. Doflamingo watched how the blush on Law's cheeks intensified and smiled widely.

He stroked his fingers up his own shaft and rubbed a small circle around his slit.

Law's gaze followed his every move and his own erection twitched with excitement.

He wondered what they were going to do next with both of them naked and obviously ready to go all the way.

All the way huh...

Law gulped nervously. Even if he wished for it to not matter anymore, he couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety at the thought of going through with his decision to sleep with Doflamingo.

At this point, there was no denying the fact that he wanted to.

And he wanted to _very badly._

But he still feared the pain the other man could cause him. He feared to lose control even though he told himself not to care anymore.

Law averted his eyes as he felt himself go pale. He noticed out of the corner of his eye how Doflamingo sat down beside him on the bed.

A cold shudder captured his body.

The other man searched Law's eyes. He didn't move any further and waited patiently until Law looked back at him. A familiar feeling started to build in Law's chest which he could only describe as an overwhelming sense of intimacy. Doflamingo didn't speak a single word and he didn't need to. Law could feel his body relax just from the ease in the other's expression.

In that moment, he decided to trust him.

Law leaned over and kissed Doflamingo with an unspoken message on his lips.

_Unpause  
_

A strong arm wrapped around Law's waist.

Doflamingo pulled the younger man into his lap until their lower bodies pressed against each other.

Both men gasped at the skin contact and looked down between them.

Law watched in awe how their cocks brushed against each other both slick with sweat and pre-cum. His eyes switched back up and met Doflamingo's gaze.

For a second, Law was sure that he was going to come just from the way the other man looked at him. He felt himself shiver. His legs seemed to move on their own as they wrapped around Doflamingo's waist.

Their lips were only inches apart and they slowly closed the distance between them.

Kissing Doflamingo already felt like an addiction to Law but he couldn't bring himself to worry about the implications at this moment. Not when his body hummed with all these amazing sensations. Like his own taste on the other man's lips, their mixing scent and the soft vibration of the moans between their kiss.

The rhythm of their lower bodies matched the pacing of their tongues like a dance that only they knew how to time.

Doflamingo's fingers wrapped around both of their erections and Law's hand joined in a few seconds later. Their lips pushed back and forth against each other while both of their hands stroked up and down around their arousal.

The climax was once again rising in Law's body as his breathing became increasingly uneven. Doflamingo suddenly broke the kiss to look at Law's face.

He picked up the speed of their hands until Law couldn't keep himself together any longer.

It didn't take long until he came between their hands and up their chests with a silent scream.

Doflamingo's hand continued to move until he reached his own orgasm.

He moaned loudly and his muscles tensed against Law's body as his cum contributed to the mess on their chests and abdomens. He rested his head on Law's shoulder who was still drowning in pleasure himself.

Both of them were dripping with sweat and panting for breath.

Doflamingo's fingertips drew lazy circles around their tips and Law flinched since his body was highly sensitive after his orgasm.

But he didn't complain. His mind was in a hazy state of absolute bliss and exhaustion was quickly taking over his senses. They moved to lie down on the mattress with Doflamingo on his back and Law resting against his chest. Law felt himself drift into sleep within a couple of seconds.

* * *

The next time his eyes opened, he found himself lying on his side with the morning sun shining through the window and on his body.

Law felt confused and disoriented for a moment and tried to push himself up when he noticed Doflamingo lying behind him. His jaw dropped as the memories of last night hit him like a brick wall. Law glanced down his chest where the stains of dried up cum were covering his skin.

He flinched slightly when he heard Doflamingo move behind him.

Law turned around slowly to find the other man getting out of bed and walking to the kitchen without saying a word. Doflamingo returned with a bottle of water and took a long sip on his way to the bathroom.

Doflamingo gargled with the water and spit into the sink.

A sudden image of the man's lips around his cock reappeared in Law's mind and his cheeks turned a bright shade of red.

Doflamingo turned on the shower and Law used the time to sneak into the kitchen and clean himself up with a cloth. He moved to the wardrobe where Bepo had left some new clothes for them and put on a pair of black shorts. He noticed that the bedroom still smelled of their nightly activities and Law had no idea what to say once the blond man would return from the bathroom.

He continued to get dressed when a sudden noise caught his attention.

Someone was knocking at the door.

Law walked into the kitchen as quietly as possible and looked through the keyhole. He saw a black-haired woman in a purple dress standing outside the apartment with her hands behind her back.

"Hello? Is someone home?", the woman asked with a shy voice.

Law narrowed his eyes. He remained silent and watched how the woman took one step away from the door as her hands revealed the shotgun she had been hiding behind her back.

"Fuck!", Law gasped and threw himself to the floor as the woman blew a hole right through the door.

Splinters of wood hurtled through the air and down on Law's body as he covered his head with his arms. The deafening noise of the shot still echoed in his ears as the woman kicked in the door and entered the apartment.

Law crawled across the floor and managed to hide behind the table just in time to escape the second round that shot the chair next to him to pieces. More splinters flew through the air and left small cuts along his arms.

The woman quickly moved around the table and aimed the shotgun at Law who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Her blue eyes narrowed at him when Law's stare suddenly switched to Doflamingo who appeared behind the woman.

He wrapped his arm around the her throat before she could turn around.

"GRAB THE GUN!", Doflamingo yelled as the woman gasped for air and started to struggle against him.

Law stared at them with wide eyes but quickly reached for the shotgun.

He managed to pull the weapon from the woman's hands and aimed it at her chest.

"STOP MOVING!", he ordered.

The woman raised her hands to signal her surrender but Doflamingo didn't loosen his grip.

"Release her! She is more useful to us if we question her, I know who she is!", Law exclaimed.

"You do?"

"Yes!", Law screamed.

"Than we have no time left to question her.", the blond man growled.

He raised the pressure around the woman's throat and her face started to turn red with the veins showing beneath her skin. She hit Doflamingo with her elbow but he withstood the impact easily. Tears of pain formed in the corners of her eyes.

Law gritted his teeth.

He stepped in front of the woman and suddenly hit her face with the grip of the shotgun. She blacked out immediately and went limp against Doflamingo's chest.

The blond man looked at Law in surprise but released the woman's neck, making her fall to the ground. Law sighed in relief.

"Where do you know her from?"

"Her name is Nico Robin. She and my... she and Margaret... work for the same division.", Law explained.

"That means she's with the SCPD."

"At least officially. She could be working for Kaido... that's why we need to question her to find out who sent her."

Doflamingo looked down at the woman with a thoughtful expression and suddenly started laugh.

"Fufufu, alright. Looks like we're doing things my way after all. We should get your friend's car and leave before someone else shows up."

"You sound like you know where we should go..."

"I told you I have more than one hideout in this city.", Doflamingo chuckled.

Law's expression turned sceptical.

"What's with that look?"

Doflamingo frowned but managed to smile at the same time as he stepped in front of Law.

The close proximity stirred curiosity in Law's body and he fought the need to close the distance between them. He could hear the amusement in Doflamingo's voice.

"I held your cock between my teeth and you're scared of getting into a car with me?"

The notion made Law's mind spin with images of last night and he shook his head in attempt to stay focused.

"Let's just... get out of here.", he muttered and moved away from the man.

He dropped to his knees and lifted the still unconscious woman from the floor.

"You drive. Although that's more likely to get me killed than any of these assaults."

Doflamingo smiled to himself and followed Law through what used to be the entrance door.

* * *

**AN:**

**There it is. **

**You guys are awesome by the way.**

**You make my day, seriously.**

**Have some candy ;3**


	10. Embrace

**AN:**

**!Warning! explicit torture &amp; sexual content**

Haven't been updating in a while, being a busy beaver and all that stuff.

Bless your reviews/favs &amp; follows 3

Enjoy.

* * *

What Doflamingo had described as a luxurious apartment turned out to be a small underground base that looked more like a basement prison than anything else. It didn't help the eerie atmosphere that the blond man decided to chain Nico Robin to a chair in one of the cells with a single bulb as the only source of light above her head. The female assassin was still unconscious and Law was beginning to feel worried when he noticed the torture equipment on the side table next to her.

"This place is pretty much the ultimate serial killer cliché...", Law murmured.

Doflamingo appeared next to him and gave him a deliberately creepy smile.

"That is very true but you see, clichés have a lot of advantages. The victim feels scared just by looking at the surroundings. They realize that nobody will see or hear them scream in a place like this. They feel hopeless before you even start the torture."

The amused sound of Doflamingo's voice sent a chill down Law's spine.

"Could you not say things like this with so much excitement? You sound like a psychopath."

The blond man looked at him from behind his purple sunglasses and smiled even wider.

"Who do you think you're talking to?", he whispered and Law stared back at him, his shoulders tense and his lips a straight line.

Doflamingo turned away slowly and stepped closer to Nico Robin. He raised his hand without any further warning and slapped her hard across the face. Her eyes opened and she gasped for air as the pain made her return to her senses.

Law's body tensed even more but he stopped himself from interfering.

"Morning, Miss bloody sunday.", Doflamingo chuckled when the woman's icy glare met his eyes.

"I've been told that you work for the SCPD but I recognize a professional when I see one. Which means you know the drill. Someone paid you to assassinate that little hottie over there and you're going to tell me who it was. The only real question is... "

Doflamingo removed a knife from the side table and raised in front of Nico Robin's face.

"... how many limbs do you want to lose before you answer me?"

Law bit his lip but remained silent.

A memory of a night spent together with Margaret and other SCPD members at one of the local bars flashed through his mind. Margaret had introduced him to Robin and her partner Roronoa. They had shared drinks and stories for hours in that bar, one of the few times when Law had actually enjoyed himself.

Now this memory felt like a long forgotten dream of a different life.

"It doesn't matter who sent me. There's a price on your head and it's only a matter of time until someone else finishes the job...", Nico Robin growled and glanced at Law.

"I can't believe you actually stayed with this man by your own free will... but then again... this makes things much easier. With the two of you together, we get to kill two birds with one stone."

"You infiltrated the SCPD. You tried to kill me and you betrayed every single one of your colleagues.", Law grumbled.

The woman before them chuckled lightly.

"I betrayed them? What would _your_ colleagues say if they knew who you're spending your time with these days? What would Margaret say?"

Her words sent a jolt through Law's body.

He took a subconscious step backwards and averted his eyes.

Nico Robin gave him a pitying smile.

_"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, have you?"_, she whispered.

The painful familiarity of the question almost served to make Law flinch with the feeling of a déjà vu. He didn't know how to reply when he met the woman's curious gaze.

Guilt and a sense of panic pulled on his nerves and he resisted the urge to run out of the cell.

"Alright, enough with the chatter.", Doflamingo announced and leaned forward.

He waited for Nico Robin's eyes to return their attention on his face before he freed her right arm and grabbed her wrist. His iron grip forced the woman's arm to extend before her body and he trapped her index finger between the knife and his thumb. Her blue eyes widened in fear when Doflamingo's smiling face turned into a merciless scowl.

"You shouldn't point your finger at other people so carelessly..."

Law snapped out of his trance momentarily but he couldn't move fast enough to stop the other man.

He heard Nico Robin's scream and saw her face contort with pain when Doflamingo sliced right through her phalange. Red streams of blood trickled down her hand, filling the basement air with the smell of iron. Her cut-off index finger rested on the blade which Doflamingo balanced before his face. His hidden eyes studied the finger while tears started running down his victim's cheeks.

"YOU BASTARD!", Nico Robin screamed.

The blond man slowly turned back to the side table and dropped the finger on the plate while he still held onto the woman's arm.

Law gritted his teeth at the weeping sounds that escaped Nico Robin's mouth. He stared at Doflamingo who took the knife to her middle finger.

"Should I rephrase my question?", he asked with a monotone voice.

"The... the name is... Sei... Sei Myosgard..."

The purple sunglasses turned into Law's direction whose face was a mask of anger.

"Does that ring a bell?", he asked the younger man.

Law gave him a tense nod as he clenched his hands into fists.

"This is all we need to know for now, let her go."

Grey eyes pierced through the purple lenses with an angry glare.

Nico Robin was panting and tried to keep her voice down as Doflamingo was still gripping her wrist tightly.

"Let. Her. Go.", Law repeated the words with as much strength as he could muster.

The rage was building inside his chest and he would force Doflamingo to stop even if it meant fighting him.

Law knew that he could never return to his old life but something like this would never feel right to him.

Doflamingo clicked his tongue.

"There.. is no way... he will let me live...", Nico Robin uttered, "... he would never... take that risk..."

Law looked at her beaten expression and felt the sting of guilt in his body.

"She's right you know...", Doflamingo whispered.

He watched in surprise how the younger man suddenly moved between him and the woman.

"If you kill her, you might as well kill me too. I'm a far bigger risk to take.", Law growled.

"If you try to kill her, I will do everything in my power to stop you. If you kill her... you're my enemy."

The echo of Law's words seemed to have formed an invisible wall between them. Doflamingo didn't move an inch but studied the other man's serious face.

He didn't doubt Law's threat but neither would he let someone else control his actions.

Or so he thought until he watched himself release the woman's arm and move away.

Law's surprised gaze followed Doflamingo as the tall man left the cell without speaking another word. It took him a few moments to recognize his victory.

Maybe because it didn't feel like one.

* * *

Bringing the first aid box with them turned out to be good idea.

Law didn't waste any time once Doflamingo had left them alone. He disinfected Nico Robin's wound and put her finger in a cool box.

"I'll free you so you can go to a hospital and get someone to reattach your finger.", he told the woman whose eyes narrowed at him.

"Why... why would you help me...?"

Law ignored her question and started to loosen the chains.

He helped her to stand up and supported her weight.

"He's... going to kill you...", Robin panted as they made their way outside the cell and walked along a dark hallway that lead to an elevator.

"There is a big price on your head..."

"He won't kill me.", Law replied shortly and pushed the button to open the doors of the elevator.

The woman leaned against the inner wall and held her bleeding hand against her chest.

"If he won't than someone else will... you're a dead man, Law...", she whispered with a sad smile on her lips.

"...but... thank you... I won't forget this."

Law held her gaze until the doors closed again and the elevator made its way back to the surface.

The strong and fast beating of his heart rang in his ears. His body was trembling and he noticed the stains of blood on his hands and sleeves. His mind was in a haze and his body seemed to move on his own until he felt the ice-cold water of one of the basement's faucets run over his skin.

His grey eyes watched how the crimson fluid disappeared down the drain but his hands were still shaking.

"So you really let her go?", he heard Doflamingo's voice ask from somewhere behind him.

Law gritted his teeth as the anger started to build up once more.

"Of course I did.", he snarled and scrubbed his skin clean of any remaining traces of blood.

The other man sighed and looked around the basement.

"Well we shouldn't stay here for too long. There is no way to tell how quickly she'll sell us out."

The water stopped flowing from the faucet and Law turned around with a spiteful expression on his face.

"I don't think **we** will be doing anything. However, **I** will be leaving now.", he grumbled and started to walk.

All he wanted was to get out of this place and as far away as possible.

He managed to make it to the hallway before Doflamingo grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Hold on a second."

Law stared at him with angry eyes but stopped in his tracks.

Doflamingo studied his face and smiled incredulously.

"Are you ditching me?"

The younger man rolled his eyes and was about to move away when Doflamingo's hands captured his face and gently held him in place.

"Law?", he asked with a soft voice.

The younger man sighed deeply.

"I don't want to torture anybody...", he explained, "... if this is how it's gonna be from now on, I won't have any part in it. I'm not..."

"...like me?", Doflamingo finished his sentence.

Law averted his eyes.

Doflamingo's touch felt too intimate and he grabbed the man's hands to pull them away from his face.

"Let me go."

"And where to? How long would it take for some other asshole to find you? What, you plan to just walk along the streets and play Pleasantville?"

"It won't be any safer for me if I stay with you and I don't want to. I will track down Sei Myosgard and find out just what the hell is going on."

The smile slowly disappeared from Doflamingo's lips.

"You will get yourself killed."

Law scowled at the man.

"That is none of your concern.", he whispered and continued on his way to the elevator.

He practically punched the button and stepped inside without looking back.

The doors were about to close when Doflamingo followed after Law and grabbed his shirt.

"What are you-", Law gasped when his back hit the wall and the other man's body pressed against his own.

His fingers clawed at Doflamingo's arms as he found himself entrapped in his embrace.

Their foreheads bumped together and Law stopped his struggle when the low sound of Doflamingo's voice reached his ears.

"When will you realize that you can't run away from this?"

"You're crazy.", Law hissed.

"You slept with me.", Doflamingo countered.

Law's body tensed even more. The feeling of Doflamingo's arms around him brought back memories he had managed to suppress for the better part of the day.

Standing this close together also meant that he could smell the other's fir tree like scent and it made a funny heat build inside of him.

Trying to get away proved to be a pointless effort.

"I.. didn't... ugh..."

"What? Cum with me?", Doflamingo purred and closed the distance between their lips.

Law felt himself blush, first due to Doflamingo's words and second because of the intoxicating feeling of the other's mouth against his own.

His eyes fell shut as Doflamingo deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around Law's waist and lifting him up. Whatever he had been thinking about or wanting to do didn't matter anymore.

Not when he could feel the other's heart beat against his chest and taste him on his tongue.

The elevator reached the ground-floor and the doors opened.

Law's mind returned to business and he quickly broke the kiss. He didn't dare to look at the other's face but tried to push him away.

"Let... let me down.", he murmured and looked quite surprised when Doflamingo obliged.

The blond man took a step back and slowly rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip. He looked way too smug for Law's taste in the way he smiled down at him.

"What?", Law asked slightly out of breath.

"Don't you think we complement each other?", Doflamingo chuckled.

"Shut up.", Law growled and stepped outside the elevator.

He narrowed his eyes and looked back over his shoulder.

"Didn't you say something about a jacuzzi?", he asked with fake annoyance.

Doflamingo's smile reached a new level of radiance.

* * *

It didn't surprise Law at all that the new apartment was even more luxurious than the one before and on the top floor of the building as well. He walked on black marble tiles along a small hallway and entered a loft-like living space with a roofgarden right behind the glazed front side.

Law shook his head when he spotted the large pool outside.

The sun was sinking down the city's skyline and the former agent couldn't help but admire the spectacular view. Doflamingo moved around the open plan kitchen and searched the fridge for anything eatable.

"I haven't been here in a while. Bought this place a few years ago, under a fake name of course. We should be safe here for now."

Law leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Unless we starve to death...", he remarked as his stomach growled loudly.

Doflamingo pulled two frozen pizzas from the freezer.

Grey eyes studied the icy pastries with a displeased expression.

"Pizza? I don't like bread... but I'm too hungry to care.", Law grumbled.

He continued to watch the sunset while Doflamingo turned on the oven.

"Dinner'll be served in half an hour, now let's start with drinks.", he chanted and grabbed a bottle of wine from the counter.

He offered the drink to Law who snatched the bottle from his hand.

"I can't believe I'm here.", he sighed and took a long slug.

The anger at what Doflamingo did to Nico Robin was still inside him but what infuriated him the most was the fact that seeing Doflamingo torture her hadn't been enough to drive him away from the man.

"I feel like there are some things we should talk about...", Doflamingo mused, his eyes watching Law carefully.

He leaned on the counter next to the black-haired man.

"You want me... even though you don't approve of the way I handled this little incident with the female assassin. ", the tall man stated with a calm voice,

"You want me... just as much as I want you."

Doflamingo took the bottle back and nearly emptied it in one go.

Law let his words sink in as he watched the last rays of sunlight disappear behind the horizon.

He hated it when Doflamingo was right.

He hated how the blond man was standing there, in silence, the light reflecting in his sunglasses and looking beautiful.

He hated how, despite everything, he found himself wanting to kiss him.

_How could this happen?_

Law could claim that he was confused, that Doflamingo manipulated him into going along with everything they had done that night.

That he hadn't enjoyed any of it.

A heavy sigh eluded his lips.

The sun was gone and the first stars started shining from the night sky.

"You're still bloody. Go wash up and I'll take care of dinner.", he whispered and moved around the counter.

Doflamingo opened his lips but didn't speak after all.

* * *

He returned half an hour later, dressed in a red bath robe.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw how Law put two plates on the dining table. The younger man frowned when he noticed Doflamingo's bewildered expression.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.", Law asked.

The blond man's eyes were once again free from the purple glasses that were hiding them most of the time. For a moment, Law believed to see something like relief shining within them.

But the tall man quickly composed himself and took a seat at the table.

"I was just surprised to see you acting all housewife-ish.", he replied with a smile.

They ate in silence, Law at one end of the table and Doflamingo at the other.

After they finished cleaning up, Law finally decided to speak again.

"I'll take a shower."

He was about to leave when the other man grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Come outside with me.", Doflamingo whispered to his ear.

_I don't think that's a good idea,_ was what Law wanted to say but instead he followed the man to the roofgarden.

* * *

The night sky filled with uncountable lights of the city beneath them. The water inside the pool was glowing with a blue light that threw reflections of the waves on the glass wall behind them.

Doflamingo pulled Law to the water and grinned widely.

"Are you serious?", Law scoffed but couldn't deny the thrill in his body.

His eyes watched curiously how the other man released his hand and let the bath robe glide off his shoulders.

A blush crept up Law's cheeks. His gaze wandered over Doflamingo's body almost shamelessly. The blue light of the pool was edging his frame and dancing across his skin.

The blond man stepped into the water that reached up to his chest and slowly sank down until his head disappeared beneath the surface. A couple of moments passed and Law started to wonder what the man was up to and slowly walked along the edge of the pool. He kneeled down and frowned at water.

Maybe Doflamingo would drown and Law could be free of his spell after all.

The thought made lopsided smile form on his lips.

Suddenly, Doflamingo's hands appeared out of the water and grabbed Law's shoulders. He pulled him into the pool and pushed him under the surface.

Law's eyes widened in shock and he quickly swam back up and gasped for air.

He could hear the man laughing loudly behind him.

"YOU ASSHOLE! MY CLOTHES ARE DRENCHED!"

Doflamingo giggled and wrapped his arms around Law's body.

"Then lose them.", he purred and started to pull off Law's shirt.

Law was too busy recovering from the shock that he didn't stop him. But as soon as the man's hand started working on his pants he moved away.

"Hold on...", he breathed and swam backwards until he hit the pool wall.

"... we didn't talk about this..."

Doflamingo furrowed his brows. He followed Law and positioned his arms on either side of his head.

"_This...?_", he asked and held Law's gaze.

"The morning after... we didn't talk about this... not really... I can't just...", Law struggled to find the right words to voice his concern.

It was true that he _wanted_ Doflamingo but that didn't mean that he _should_ want him.

Law had never felt attracted to another man in his life and now that he clearly thought about it, he felt scared and confused. Most of all because he didn't understand why it had to be _this man_ his body was craving.

"So much has happened in such a short time... ever since I met you... everything that I was... has been falling apart."

He truly didn't know who he was anymore.

Doflamingo lowered his arms into the water.

"Then... why did you stay?", he asked quietly.

Law blinked in surprise.

"You could have left before, when I was away."

He leaned in closer until his lips were only inches away from Law's.

"Make your choice already."

_Make a choice?_, Law thought.

He knew what the should do.

He should leave, get in contact with Smoker and Hina and solve this case on his own. He should walk out of this apartment and get Doflamingo arrested. He should return to Margaret, tell her the truth and apologize.

But instead he did the one thing he shouldn't do.

He raised his chin and covered Doflamingo's lips with his own.

The taller man quickly pulled him closer and Law felt the wetness on the other's skin when he wrapped his arms around his neck. One of Doflamingo's hands moved down to Law's pants and Law helped him to strip them off of his legs.

Their tongues engaged in what Law recognized as a familiar dance and they started moving through the water. The kiss made him feel like a drug addict who was finally getting his fix.

Law moaned softly when their naked skin touched beneath the surface.

Doflamingo wrapped one arm around his waist and pulled him into his lap.

"I wonder who's gonna top this time.", he chuckled to Law's ear.

Law leaned back to glare at the man.

"Shut it or I'll change my min-ngh!"

His groaned when he felt Doflamingo's finger brush over his entrance. The blond man grinned widely at the sudden change in Law's expression. The younger man clenched his jaw when he felt the other's finger enter his body.

"What the fuck...", he hissed as Doflamingo moved deeper inside.

He rested his head on the other's shoulder while the finger kept loosening him. He couldn't deny that the sensation was pleasurable in a way although the intrusion felt uncomfortable.

Law's breath was speeding up and a familiar heat was building in his body.

"You bastard...", he sighed against the crook of Doflamingo's neck and the taller man chuckled.

He added another finger and Law clawed his nails into his shoulder.

"FUCK!", Law screeched and closed his eyes at the stretching pain.

"Shsh... it's okay... you'll adjust to it.", Doflamingo whispered and stopped moving his fingers for a moment.

Law cursed the man to heaven and hell in his mind but managed to calm his breathing enough so that some of the tension left his body.

Doflamingo felt the silky muscles around his fingers relax and smiled to himself.

He moved deeper and deeper, making Law squirm against his chest until his fingertips brushed over his prostate.

The younger man gasped in shock and his eyes snapped open.

He stared at Doflamingo who raised his brows and gave him a knowing look. The smile on his face widened as he started working Law's pleasure point and he watched how he succumbed to the feeling.

Law frowned and opened his mouth as a silent moan rolled off of his tongue. He felt saliva gathering at the edge of his lips until a small droplet fell down into the water.

The sight in front of him made Doflamingo's erection twitch with excitement against Law's belly.

"Gorgeous...", he sighed and locked eyes with the younger man.

Law's body had begun to move against his fingers and he didn't even seem to notice.

Doflamingo removed his fingers and grabbed the other's hips. He repositioned himself and let the tip of his cock slide between Law's buttocks and over his entrance.

Doflamingo's tongue licked over the edge of his mouth as he began to push inside.

Every muscle in Law's body tensed at the sensation. He flinched when the head of the other's penis entered him and hardly refrained from punching Doflamingo.

The pain made white sparks dance before his eyes and it took all of his self-control to stay where he was and allow the man to press forward.

Doflamingo's hands slowly pulled Law's hips down on his erection while his lips tugged upwards and bared his teeth even more.

Law wanted to wipe the smile from his face but his pained expression relaxed momentarily when Doflamingo reached his prostate.

A wave of pleasure washed over his body like a shock of electricity and echoed within him as the other man moved even deeper.

His muscles slowly adjusted to the oversized intrusion and he distantly noticed that Doflamingo was only halfway inside him by now.

A screeching sound escaped Law's throat as he thought about the implications.

"Don't worry.", Doflamingo murmured as if he had read his mind,

"I won't go any further... yet."

He smiled at Law and started to move back and forth inside his body at a slow pace.

At first, Law was sure that he was going to rip apart but after a while he felt himself moving with the other man, clinging tightly to his shoulders and wrapping his legs around his waist.

He was slowly but surely losing his mind in Doflamingo's embrace. Law felt the other's heartbeat inside himself, his veins pulsing against his muscles as if they were one organism.

The thought made him feel scared and thrilled at the same time.

He needed to kiss him again, to get even closer and become whole.

Doflamingo's mouth welcomed him with its warmth, giving in and taking over in a dance of tongues while he sped up the pace.

His slender fingers wrapped around Law's erection and started to stroke him.

Time eluded Law's senses when all he could feel was pleasure. A pleasure that was rising quickly and pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

He came with a scream that was muffled by Doflamingo's lips.

The other man reached his own climax after a couple more thrusts and Law flinched when he felt a warm fluid filling his body from inside.

Doflamingo bent his head back and released a loud moan that turned into a breathy laugh.

"Fuck, Law...", he panted and looked back at the man in his arms.

"You did.", the black-haired man smirked, saliva dripping from the edge of his mouth.

Both of them were trying to regain a normal breathing pace while they stared at each other for several minutes, slowly drifting through the water.

"You're still inside.", Law whispered and glanced down between their bodies.

Doflamingo smiled and gave a gentle roll of his hips, making Law moan softly.

"So?", he snickered.

Law gave him a glare and Doflamingo grinned and pulled out of his body.

He held Law close to his chest and spoke to his ear.

"We should take this to the bedroom."


	11. Breath and Blood

_13 years ago._

"Unit 7, do you copy?"

The voice speaking through the police radio sounded rather serious which served to take Bell-Mére's mind of the question whether or not she should lit herself another cigarette.

"Ay, we're on break. What is it?", she answered, staring through the windshield.

"This is an emergency, we have a 131 on Wellington Street 32. Go there immediately."

The agent's eyes widened.

"Understood."

Bell-Mére signalled her partner to hurry who had just exited the restaurant across the parking space, carrying the bag with their meals. The tall man immediately recognized the tense look on her face and started running to the car, only to slip and end up sprawled out on the concrete. His partner took a deep breath, a muscle twitching on her forehead as he quickly jumped back on his feet and climbed on the passenger seat.

They were the first unit to arrive at the crime scene and wasted no time entering the two-story house whose door had been burst open. The sounds of a quiet whimper reached their ears as soon as they set foot inside the building. Bell-Mére pointed her pistol up the stairs ahead and her partner nodded, understanding that she would check upstairs. She made her way up and slowly walked along the hallway, her senses heightened. Another voice sounded from the door on her left and she peeked through the crack to find a small girl crying into her pillow. Bell-Mére lowered her gun and hurried to the bed, putting a gentle hand on the child's shoulder. A pair of tear-filled, frightened eyes stared up at her in shock, the small body immediately tensing up.

"Sshh, don't worry. You're safe now."

Bell-Mére gave her a soft smile, hiding her inner turmoil at the expression of sheer horror on the girl's face. She was about to speak again when she heard her partner calling from downstairs.

He couldn't breathe.

At least, he didn't feel like he could.

The scene before him took all the air from his lungs once he entered the kitchen, stepping right into the red puddle on the floor. Two people lay in the corner of the room, both with symmetric bullet holes in their foreheads. And then there was the whimper again, right next to the bodies.

A young boy... nine, maybe ten years old. Staring at the corpses of his parents, standing in a pool of their blood. He turned around slowly as he noticed the policeman behind him. Tears were running down his face in a constant stream but his gaze was empty. His mouth opened and closed seemingly uncontrolled with hiccups shaking his chest.

He didn't react when the tall man dropped to his knees right in front of him or when two strong arms wrapped around him to pull him up and carry him outside.

"My... my sister... she's..."

"She's safe. My partner will bring her down any minute."

"She... she has... seen them too..."

The policeman gulped audibly.

"You're both safe now.", he whispered, his thumb wiping the tears on the boy's cheek. There was no end to them.

"What's your name?"

"L-Law..."

The little voice sounded so broken, it took everything he had not to cry himself.

"I'll protect you, Law. You're not alone."

The boy's trance broke and he started weeping loudly, burying his face in the man's shoulder.

"Two murders. Both headshots, close proximity. No suspects at the scene. The children weren't harmed, at least not physically..."

Bell-Mére sighed and massaged her temple, glancing at her partner who had remained silent sitting next to her, staring into nothing.

They were asked to report directly to the commissioner while the two kids were left waiting in the office. The boy, Law, had been the first to walk downstairs after he had heard the gunshots to see what had happened but stated that he hadn't seen anyone entering or leaving the house.

* * *

They slumped down on the mattress, still drenched and unable to break neither their embrace nor kiss. Doflamingo had carried Law to the bedroom with ease, leaving a trace of wet footprints on the floor. The room was dark, except for the dim city lights shining through the window.

Soft moans broke the silence once in a while as their naked bodies moved together. Law was lying on his back and tried to touch every inch of the blond man on top of him which proved difficult due to their hopelessly entangled limbs.

Doflamingo's lips travelled from Law's mouth to his jaw and to the spot right beneath his ear, his breath hot against the damp skin. Law tilted his head to the side allowing the other's tongue better access to his neck. His tattooed fingers found their way into his hair and tugged at the blond strands.

"The whole bed will get soaked...", he panted, feeling the wet blanket against his back.

Doflamingo didn't stop his movements. Instead, he lowered his head to Law's chest, long tongue licking over his nipple, causing Law to inhale sharply.

"Oh yes it will...", he whispered against his skin, catching it between his teeth and biting it gently.

"Hng..."

A blush spread across Law's face and he let his hand slide down his abdomen, fingertips reaching the tip of his arousal. He wanted to feel Doflamingo between his legs even though his lower back was aching slightly from their previous round in the pool.

Doflamingo took Law into his mouth and the younger man hummed.

His mind was entering a blissful haze and his body oversensitive.

Doflamingo's lips returned to his own, sharing the taste of Law's lust and need as he positioned himself.

The following intrusion did hurt but Law didn't mind the pain as much as he had expected. He pulled his invader closer, wrapping his legs around the man's waist and forcing him deeper. He felt him pulse, strong veins pumping against his inner walls.

It felt like they were moving within some kind of static field that magnified all touch and turned friction into fire.

Doflamingo took his time to gain pace, utterly fascinated with the way Law's body responded to increasing stimulation. There was a sense of satisfaction that stemmed from his physical ability to overpower the younger man. But it wasn't the eventual surrender or even submission that made sex with Law feel addictive. It was the ever-present challenge in his eyes, the strength in his hands when he held onto his shoulders, leaving red marks with his nails. Doflamingo's thoughts drifted off to a fantasy in which they engaged in a different kind of dance.

He wondered how it would be to fight Law.

Lost in his own head, he only realized how close they were when Law moaned loudly and his fingers drew blood from his skin with a frantic motion.

The edges of Doflamingo's mouth turned upwards at the imperfect harmony of Law's voice, crossing the line to ecstasy. He laughed breathlessly as he buried himself inside the other's warmth a few more times before white sparks began to dance behind his eyes and the static discharged around them.

Law saw the man's self-satisfied smile and wanted to wipe it from his face but ended up pulling him closer instead.

They remained in the embrace for a while longer, both of their chests heaving against each other, bodies dripping with sweat.

The feeling of wholeness was both overwhelming and frightening. Doflamingo was still seated within Law, meaning he could still feel the other man's heartbeat inside and how freakishly it seemed to slow down in time with his own.

Law lifted the taller man's head off his shoulder to bring their salty lips together.

A gentle hand moved from his leg to the back of his head, stroking through his raven hair. Doflamingo broke the kiss and looked down at Law for a long moment. The younger man narrowed his eyes when he noticed the subtle change in the other's expression and his own smile faded away.

"What's wrong?"

Ironic question, Law thought one second after he'd asked. Maybe he should have said 'What ISN'T wrong?'

His fingers travelled over Doflamingo's chest, along his neck and up his throat until they rested at his jaw. The blond man moved away, slowly leaving Law's body. He rolled on his back, breathing heavily but yet awfully quiet. They lay in silence for a while before Law frowned and pushed himself up.

"Doffy..."

He stopped, coughed awkwardly at the slip of the nickname, then continued.

"... I know you wanted to spill something just now. So what was it?"

Doflamingo gave him a quick look and sighed. He covered his eyes with his arm and his lips curled upwards.

"Nothing. Even I have my speechless moments..."

Law climbed on top of the man and pulled his arm away, putting his hands on either side of his face. Doflamingo looked mildly annoyed but didn't protest.

"Are you sure you're not just out of breath, old man?", Law smirked.

The tease was rewarded with a raspy laugh and a slap to on the rear, making the younger man flinch slightly.

"I'm entitled to some rest, don't you think? Seeing how I did most of the work...", Doflamingo countered, eyeing the smug look on Law's face with a hint of pride. "... not to say that it wasn't my pleasure."

Law snickered and leaned down, whispering:

"Don't worry, I'll gladly take the wheel next time."

* * *

AN:

I'm alive.

And so is this story I guess. Phew, how long has it been..?

Anyway, I've had this chapter sitting there for a while and thought I might as well post it now even if I don't know if I'll finish this story anytime soon.

Thanks for your continued interest, though, I really don't deserve it x)


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